BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Haruna Yerima, says the ruling Party will be making its biggest mistake by daring to tamper with the Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket come 2027 general elections
Consequently, he warned that it would be politically suicidal for the Party to consider changing the present status quo if it hopes to retain power beyond 2027.
A statement issued in Abuja by Professor Yerima, a former House of Representatives member, said APC cannot afford to rock the boat with such an unpopular decision, insisting that those canvassing a change in the current pairing are the same elements who fought tooth and nail against the Tinubu/Shettima ticket back in 2023.
According to him; “There is no gainsaying the fact that tempering with the Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket would not augur well for the APC in 2027 general elections.
“It is appalling that those who never believed the Tinubu/Shettima ticket would deliver victory in 2023 are now working round the clock to change it. They should be stopped now. Else, the ruling party will suffer its greatest defeat in 2027.”
He said advocates of tinkering with the existing state of affairs are suffering from political naivety, warning that imposing a Christian from the North-Central or North-West zones is not just short-sightedness, but also a lack of knowledge regarding political realities in the country.
Arguing that the North-Central zone is fully compensated and taken care of with several Grade A federal appointments, Professor Yerima said: “The North-Central and the North-West zones that are canvassing for the 2027 Vice Presidential ticket is fully rewarded with prominent appointments that include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Minister of Defence, and the National Chairman of APC.”
Others are “Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (NNPCL), and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), among others.”
The APC Stalwart, while debunking insinuations that the Christian genocide narration by President Donald Trump is the key factor deepening the need for altering the Tinubu/Shettima ticket in 2027, said: “It is a fallacy that United States President would determine who Nigerian Vice President should be. This is the handiwork of political jobbers and fifth columnists.”
He insisted that Vice President Kashim Shettima has been very dutiful and loyal to President Bola Tinubu, adding, “It is on records that Senator Kashim Shettima has been a very loyal and competent deputy to President Tinubu. He is not noisy. Even his political detractors can’t deny he is a competent powerhouse with strong intellectual capabilities. His political antecedents are legendary.”
The former lawmaker’s comments come on the heels of an alarm raised recently by Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, over the exclusion of Vice President Shettima’s picture on the banner promoting party leaders in the region during the North East Governors and APC stakeholders engagement in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The development is also against the backdrop of moves by some stakeholders promoting names of former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, as likely Vice Presidential options to replace Senator Shettima come 2027.
