A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Haruna Yerima, has cautioned the party against tampering with the President Bola Tinubu/Vice President Kashim Shettima ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, the university don warned that altering the current presidential ticket could spell disaster for the ruling party in the next election cycle.
Prof. Yerima, a former member of the House of Representatives, said those canvassing for a change in the Tinubu/Shettima ticket are the same political actors who opposed it ahead of the 2023 elections.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that tampering with the Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket would not augur well for the APC in the 2027 general elections,” he said.
He described as “appalling” the renewed push by some party elements to alter the ticket, noting that they were among those who doubted its ability to deliver victory in 2023.
“They are now working around the clock to change it. They should be stopped now; otherwise, the ruling party will suffer its greatest defeat in 2027,” he warned.
The APC chieftain also dismissed arguments calling for the replacement of Vice President Shettima with a Christian candidate from either the North-Central or North-West zones, describing such calls as politically naïve and short-sighted.
According to him, the North-Central zone has already been adequately compensated with several strategic federal appointments.
“The North-Central and North-West zones that are canvassing for the 2027 vice-presidential ticket are already fully rewarded with prominent appointments, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Minister of Defence, APC National Chairman, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Chief of Army Staff (COAS), among others,” he stated.
Prof. Yerima also dismissed insinuations that comments by former United States President Donald Trump on alleged Christian persecution were influencing calls to alter the Tinubu/Shettima ticket.
“It is a fallacy to suggest that the President of the United States would determine who Nigeria’s Vice President should be. This is the handiwork of political jobbers and fifth columnists,” he said.
He further praised Vice President Shettima for his loyalty and competence, describing him as a dependable deputy to President Tinubu.
“It is on record that Senator Kashim Shettima has been a very loyal and competent deputy. He is not noisy, and even his political detractors cannot deny that he is a strong intellectual and political powerhouse with legendary antecedents,” Yerima added.
He also referenced recent concerns raised by the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, over the exclusion of Vice President Shettima’s image from banners displayed during the North-East Governors and APC stakeholders’ meeting held in Maiduguri.
The incident occurred amid growing speculation, with some political elements reportedly floating the names of former Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, Minister of Defence Christopher Musa, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, and Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, as potential replacements for Shettima.
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