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As Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election approaches, political strategies within the All Progressives Congress (APC) are intensifying.
Dr. Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, suggested on Arise TV Saturday that President Bola Tinubu might be considering a Christian Vice President from the North Central geopolitical zone.
Amadi’s analysis follows recent speculation about the relationship between President Tinubu and his current Vice President, Kashim Shettima.
A controversy arose from the omission of Shettima’s name during a recent APC zonal meeting in Gombe, sparking debate about his place on the 2027 ticket.
Amadi noted this reflected “certain language control arising from the reality of politics.”
Drawing parallels to Tinubu’s history of changing deputies during his time as Lagos State Governor, Amadi posited that a similar dynamic might be at play on a national scale.
He argued that a strategic shift to a North Central Vice President would be a calculated move to broaden the APC’s appeal and address the political repercussions of the 2023 Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Amadi stated, “I think any Tinubu strategist would fancy that an option and say, ‘Look, what do we lose if we have a Muslim southerner and Tinubu and a Christian North Central…which is a zone that has unfortunately not had anybody as vice president or president since 1999?'” Such a move, he believes, could secure more votes from the middle belt region, which Tinubu won in 2023 but could further consolidate.
However, Amadi cautioned that dropping Shettima could lead to “collateral damage” for the president. He suggested that Shettima’s camp might have “played the game badly” by publicly reacting to the perceived slight, arguing that “no president would like to be with a vice president where some political forces are saying you just have to be on this ticket.”
The analyst also highlighted that younger Nigerian voters are increasingly influenced by issues of transparency and good governance rather than ethnic or religious considerations, a trend that could significantly alter traditional political calculations for the APC in 2027.
This ongoing debate underscores the complex political manoeuvring expected as the next presidential election draws closer, with the APC aiming to consolidate its power while navigating internal dynamics and a changing electorate.
