Tinubu supporters tell Kwankwaso to move on from Muslim-Muslim ticket debate

By Jude Opara

Supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have dismissed fresh criticism of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket by former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, insisting that Nigerians resolved the issue with the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
The Director-General of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), Dr. Umar Tanko Yakasai, stated this while speaking with journalists in Abuja on the sidelines of a conference on the development of the North-Central region under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Yakasai was reacting to remarks attributed to Kwankwaso, who reportedly said the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket would remain a major political issue ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 election demonstrated that Nigerians placed greater emphasis on leadership than religious considerations.
He argued that the administration’s appointments and policies have reflected inclusiveness, maintaining that the President has ensured fair representation across regions, ethnic groups and religious divides.
Yakasai particularly highlighted the North-Central region, which has a sizeable Christian population, saying it has benefited significantly from key federal appointments and government projects under the Tinubu administration.
He cited the appointments of officials from the region into strategic positions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and major security institutions.
The TSG Director-General also rejected allegations that the administration has favoured the South-West in federal appointments, insisting that appointments have been distributed across the country’s geopolitical zones.
As further evidence, he pointed to the appointment of Dr. Lilian Ene Ogbole as a commissioner in the National Wages Commission and what he described as the substantial number of federal appointees from Kano State.
Yakasai further argued that Kwankwaso’s criticism was inconsistent with his own political history, noting that the former Kano governor had previously accepted to serve as the running mate to a Christian presidential candidate.
He maintained that the opposition was attempting to revive a debate that Nigerians had already settled at the polls, rather than focusing on governance and national development.
Kwankwaso had recently argued that the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket remained controversial and would continue to shape political discussions in the build-up to the 2027 elections.