2027: APC Chieftain Backs Muslim-Muslim Ticket, Points To Northern Majority

As preparations for the 2027 general election gather momentum, a senior chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Farouq Aliyu, has stated that demographic considerations, particularly in northern Nigeria, favour the continuation of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket by the ruling party.

According to Ireporter Online, Aliyu made the remarks on Friday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, emphasizing that electoral choices are guided more by numbers and strategic considerations than by sentiment.

Aliyu noted that decisions regarding the composition of the party’s presidential ticket rest solely with the APC and its candidate, and that individual opinions must yield to collective party interest. “Well, I stand with my party actually, because these decisions are for the parties and the candidates,” he said. “So if, in the wisdom of our party and our president, it is to go with another Muslim, so be it. And if he decides to go with the Christians, so be it.”

The APC chieftain also revealed that party leadership has advised members, particularly those who regularly engage with the media, against speculating on the future of Vice President Kashim Shettima or the party’s ticket ahead of 2027, describing such discussions as premature and potentially divisive.

Aliyu added that the ultimate choice of a Muslim-Muslim, Muslim-Christian, or Christian-Christian ticket would be based strictly on political calculations at the appropriate time. “But whether the Muslim or non-Muslim, it’s important. Time will tell,” he said. “It’s a political decision which either party can take. If a party decides to go Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian, it is absolutely a political decision which will be made when things are up.”

Highlighting the significance of electoral strength, particularly in northern Nigeria, Aliyu argued that numerical advantage would influence the party’s decision. “In my opinion, the numbers will be looked at whether to fill in a Muslim or a Christian,” he said. “The numbers are there to show whether in the northern part of the country there are more Muslims.”

While acknowledging that a party could choose a Christian candidate from the North, Aliyu stressed that the majority of Muslim voters in the region would remain a decisive factor. “It is absolutely without doubt there are more Muslims in the northern part of the country,” he said. “So any party can decide to either pick a Christian. But if it goes in terms of numbers, certainly there are more Muslims in the North, which means it will be best for the party to take a Muslim.”