Charles Esther
A senior member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Haruna Yerima, has expressed strong confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would secure re-election in 2027 if he retains Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate.
Yerima shared his views on Saturday in Abuja while reacting to a statement made by the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum (NENF).
NENF Opposes Muslim-Muslim Ticket
The group had previously advised Tinubu to drop Shettima and instead choose a Christian running mate from Plateau, Benue, or Taraba states to ease concerns about an alleged Islamisation agenda.
They also argued that repeating the Muslim-Muslim ticket could provide an easy campaign weapon for the opposition.
Yerima Dismisses Opposition Claims
Responding, Yerima dismissed NENF’s stance, describing it as baseless and politically weak.
He said, “The claim that APC could lose the 2027 presidential elections if President Tinubu runs with Shettima is both insane and unfounded.”
The former House of Representatives member further argued that predictions suggesting that an Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi alliance could defeat Tinubu and Shettima were politically shallow and lacked empirical evidence.
APC Chieftain Rejects NENF’s Position
Yerima strongly criticized Dominic Alancha of the NENF, calling the group faceless and unserious.
He maintained that Tinubu retaining Shettima was the best strategy for the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
