Muslim-Muslim ticket: Dogara urges Tinubu to choose running mate based on justice, not pressure

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara has urged President Bola Tinubu to make decisions on power-sharing and religious balance based on justice, not fear or political pressure.

Dogara spoke on Channels Television’s programme Sunday Politics amid speculation that Vice-President Kashim Shettima could be dropped as Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election.

The Christian-born politician emphasised that governance should prioritise inclusiveness and fairness to build a nation that works for everyone.

When asked to respond to claims that his name was being mentioned as a potential running mate, Dogara said, “leave me out of this.”

He added: “Whatever we are doing shouldn’t be because we are afraid of anybody breathing down our necks; it should be because it is the right thing to do.

“We are talking about running an inclusive government, bringing everybody in this country together, so that we can build a nation that works for all of us.”

Dogara said discussions around rotational presidency should also consider broader religious realities.

“So, if we are talking about rotational presidency, there is nothing stopping us from having that discussion as well, because you are not just talking about northern Christians but about the Christian faith as a whole,” he said.

“If you have a Muslim, whether he comes from the north or the south, let it be that he is representing the Muslim community.

“And if you have a Christian, wherever he comes from, he represents the Christian faith. That way, you achieve religious balance.”

He stressed that any move toward balance should be driven by justice rather than fear.

“But honestly, if we’re going to do anything along those lines, it shouldn’t be that we are scared, but because, as men of it, we believe that God requires of us to do justice.

“And justice demands that we should balance things. I think that should be our concern.”

On the possibility of the APC fielding a Christian running mate in 2027, Dogara said the issue is already under discussion.

“It’s a discussion, and I am aware that such discussions are already taking place,” he said.

He added that as long as the president remains in power, he is likely to secure the party’s ticket.

“At the end of the day, whatever the president decides, nobody who is a serving president has ever lost the party primaries. So, we assume that the president will get the party’s ticket.

“Ultimately whatever decisions that he takes, I believe that it is up to him, but if we have overwhelming majority of our people making a case that these things should be balanced, as a democrat, I sincerely believe that he will listen to it.”

Dogara also warned against dividing the north along religious lines.

“Particularly for us northerners like me and you, I’ve always insisted that anybody who divides the north along religious lines has actually conquered the north.”