Most Christians We Spoke to Support Muslim-Muslim Ticket, APC Chairman

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, has said that most Christians the party spoke to are okay with the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for the 2027 general elections.

Yilwatda made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday. He brushed aside worries that the religious makeup of the presidency could push Christians aside.

He explained that Christians who were worried about their voices being suppressed have now seen that they are still part of the government.

“Most Christians that we’ve engaged and we’ve spoken to them, they are very okay with the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

“The thought and the fear of most Christians was that the Muslim-Muslim ticket may suppress their voices, but their voices are heard loud and clear now,” he said.

Yilwatda also rejected the idea that Tinubu’s religion has led to discrimination or persecution of Christians during his three years in office.

On the issue of Tinubu’s health and his ability to run for re-election in 2027, Yilwatda said the President is fit to contest. He defended Tinubu’s absence from some campaign rallies. He said the President has important duties that keep him from attending every party event.

He mentioned that some government officials have been asked to attend certain rallies so that governance can continue without interruption from campaign events.

APC and ADC Leadership Issues

Yilwatda denied claims that the APC is involved in the leadership crisis of the African Democratic Congress. This comes after a Federal High Court ruled against the David Mark-led leadership.

He questioned why the opposition party would blame the ruling party for a problem that came from a legal issue started by one of its members.

Yilwatda also expressed confidence that Tinubu would beat former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in a fair election. He said Atiku’s success in the 2023 presidential election was mostly due to the political structure of the Peoples Democratic Party, not his own popularity.

“He did not win because of Atiku; he won because of the structure of the PDP. It was the PDP that brought Atiku, not Atiku winning on his own,” he said.

Yilwatda also defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s plan to give a ₦10m reward to councils that support Tinubu in 2027. He said this incentive is not the same as vote buying.