By Muhammad Mamman
A prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) figure, Haruna Yerima, has boldly predicted that President Bola Tinubu will secure a resounding victory in the 2027 presidential election if he retains Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate. The former MP dismissed claims by the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum, which urged Tinubu to abandon the Muslim-Muslim ticket and select a Christian running mate from Plateau, Benue, or Taraba to counter fears of an “Islamisation agenda.”
Speaking in response to the Forum’s statement in Abuja on Saturday, Yerima branded their assertions as “baseless and absurd.” He argued that suggestions of an electoral defeat for the APC if Tinubu and Shettima run together are “wildly speculative” and lack any empirical grounding. “The notion that Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi could outmanoeuvre a Tinubu-Shettima ticket is a flawed and amateurish political calculation,” he stated.
Yerima, a former House of Representatives member, lambasted the Forum’s spokesperson, Dominic Alancha, and their “shadowy organisation” for peddling what he called a “discredited narrative.” He insisted that Tinubu’s administration has consistently demonstrated inclusivity, debunking any claims of religious bias over the past two years. “This attempt to resurrect a tired issue of religious division is utterly deplorable,” he remarked.
The APC chieftain praised Shettima’s competence and loyalty, noting that the Vice President was selected after careful consideration by Tinubu. “Any effort to foist a running mate on the President will not only fail but will be firmly rejected,” Yerima warned, dismissing the Forum’s agenda as “unsellable.”
Yerima also cautioned against intertwining religion with politics, calling it “perplexing” that some groups continue to push faith-based arguments in matters rooted in loyalty and capability. “Senator Shettima has executed his duties with unwavering dedication and professionalism,” he added, reinforcing his belief that the Tinubu-Shettima partnership is a winning formula for 2027.
