The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has claimed that most Christians in Nigeria are now comfortable with the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
Yilwatda said concerns that the same-faith ticket could marginalise Christians and weaken their influence in government had been addressed under the Tinubu administration.
He stated this on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
According to the APC chairman, Christians who had expressed concerns about the ticket were now satisfied with the level of representation in government.
“Most Christians that we’ve engaged and we’ve spoken to them, they are very okay with the Muslim-Muslim ticket,” he said.
He added that the initial fear was that the arrangement would suppress the voices of Christians, but argued that they were now being heard.
“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,” Yilwatda said.
The Muslim-Muslim ticket generated controversy ahead of the 2023 presidential election, with several Christian groups and political leaders criticising the decision to field two Muslim candidates.
They argued that the arrangement raised concerns about religious inclusivity and balance in the country’s leadership.
