The All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended its decision to retain a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for the 2027 election, claiming that Christians consulted by the party have expressed support for the arrangement.
Titiansloaded reports that the party’s National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, said there was no evidence that the religious composition of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s leadership had silenced Christians or excluded them from governance.
Yilwatda made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he maintained that concerns about possible religious marginalisation under the administration were misplaced.
He said the party had engaged Christian stakeholders and found many of them comfortable with the ticket.
According to him, the concern that Christians would lose their influence under a Muslim-Muslim presidency had not materialised, as their contributions remained visible in government and public affairs.
“Most Christians that we’ve engaged and we’ve spoken to them, they are very okay with the Muslim-Muslim ticket,” he said.
He added that the voices of Christians had continued to be heard despite the religious backgrounds of the President and his deputy.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged the ruling APC to allow the opposition party to contest the 2027 general election without what it described as attempts to frustrate its participation through the courts.
The Director-General of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Austin Akobundu, made the demand while commenting on the reception given to the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in Sokoto State and his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, in Kebbi State.
In a statement issued over the weekend, Akobundu said the turnout at the events reflected growing support for the ADC and public interest in an alternative political platform.
He thanked residents and party supporters in both states for welcoming the opposition leaders.
However, Akobundu accused the Federal Government and the APC-led administration of using judicial processes to undermine the ADC’s chances of participating in the forthcoming election.
He urged the ruling party to face the opposition at the polls, insisting that Nigerians should be allowed to freely determine their preferred political leadership.
