Political allies and supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have dismissed renewed criticisms of the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by the former Kano state Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, insisting that the issue has lost political relevance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former Governor in an interview had said the Muslim-Muslim ticket by the President will remain an issue in the 2027 election.
But speaking with newsmen Tuesday in Abuja at a one-day conference on the economic, structural and infrastructural development of the North Central under the Tinubu administration, organised by the North Central Agenda, (NCA), Director General of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), Dr. Umar Tanko Yakasai, said Nigerians had already settled the debate over the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election by electing Tinubu despite sustained opposition to the arrangement.
According to him, the North Central, which has a significant Christian population, has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Tinubu administration through strategic appointments and infrastructure projects.
“In the 2023 general election, many people thought the Muslim-Muslim ticket would stop Tinubu. He won.
“Today, the North Central has become one of the major beneficiaries of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. INEC is headed by someone from the North Central, the APC National Chairman is from the North Central, key security institutions are headed by people from the North Central, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is also from the zone.
“You cannot talk about religion without talking about the North Central because they constitute a significant proportion of Christians in Northern Nigeria. They have moved from marginalisation to integration and from exclusion to inclusion.
“Kwankwaso should know better. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has proven that he is President for all Nigerians irrespective of tribe or religion. If he were President only for Muslims, Kwankwaso himself would not have accepted to serve as running mate to a Christian presidential candidate,” he said.
Yakasai also rejected allegations that the Tinubu administration favours the South West in federal appointments, saying the President has ensured equitable representation across regions and religions.
He cited the recent appointment of Dr. Lilian Ene Ogbole as Commissioner in the National Wages Commission and the large number of federal appointees from Kano State as evidence that appointments are spread across the country.
“The President has spread his appointments across all tribes, all regions and all religions. It is the opposition that wants to shift attention from the successes of this administration to issues that have already been settled by Nigerians,” he added.