Prof. Haruna Yerima, a senior chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has cautioned against any attempts to alter the Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Yerima stressed that those pushing for a change in the ticket are largely the same individuals who opposed it during the 2023 elections.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that tampering with the Tinubu/Shettima ticket would be detrimental to the APC’s prospects in 2027.
“It is appalling that those who doubted this ticket’s ability to deliver victory in 2023 are now working round the clock to change it.
“They must be stopped, or the party risks its greatest defeat yet,” he said.
Yerima described advocates for altering the ticket as “short-sighted and politically naive,” adding that the North-Central zone has already been adequately represented through several high-profile federal appointments.
Addressing claims that the so-called “Christian genocide” promoted by former US President Donald Trump is influencing the push for a change, Yerima dismissed the notion.
“It is not true that a US President will determine who Nigeria’s Vice President should be. This is the work of political jobbers and fifth columnists,” he said.
He also lauded Vice President Kashim Shettima, describing him as a loyal, competent, and discreet deputy to President Bola Tinubu.
“Shettima’s political record is exemplary.
Even his critics cannot deny his intellectual capability and political stature,” Yerima added.
The warning follows concerns raised by Abdulkarim Lawan, Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, over Shettima’s perceived exclusion from certain party activities.
Lawan specifically noted that Shettima’s image was absent from banners depicting APC leaders during a recent North East Governors and stakeholders’ meeting in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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