Zuwaira Bello, Kaduna
Pressure is reportedly mounting on President Bola Tinubu to ensure a religious balance on the presidential ticket as he prepares for a re-election bid in 2027, The Sun Nigeria reports.
Sources familiar with the matter said influential forces in the United States have expressed a preference for a Muslim-Christian ticket in Tinubu’s quest to retain the presidency.
Following this development, several names have emerged as potential vice-presidential candidates. At the top of the list is Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah. Others reportedly being considered include former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, and Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Christopher Musa.
Kukah is from Kaduna State, as is Gen. Musa, while Dogara hails from Bauchi State.
Insiders revealed that the idea of dropping Vice President Kashim Shettima has been circulating since the government’s mid-term. While many APC governors reportedly support retaining Shettima for 2027, some aides around President Tinubu are said to prefer replacing him with another Muslim.
“Initially, the consideration was to drop Shettima and bring in either former Zamfara State Governor Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari or National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu,” a source said. “But the US pressure for a Muslim-Christian ticket has changed the calculus.”
The Tinubu campaign is reportedly exploring incentives for Shettima should he be dropped, including a possible appointment as Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations or support for a presidential bid in 2031.
Political analysts said while the US’s interest in Nigeria’s elections may seem unusual, it aligns with recent American concerns over Christian persecution in the country.
In December 2025, then-US President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over attacks on Christians by Islamic insurgents. He said:
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world!”
Trump later authorised strikes against Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) camps in Sokoto on Christmas Day, fulfilling his threat.
Sources familiar with Tinubu’s planning indicated that Bishop Kukah would be formally approached only if the President’s team decides to adhere to the US demand for religious balancing.
