Abuja — Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has asked to be excluded from ongoing speculations suggesting he could replace Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election.
Dogara made the appeal on Sunday while speaking on Sunday Politics, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, amid growing discussions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the possibility of retaining a Muslim–Muslim presidential ticket in 2027.
“I would have sincerely pleaded with you to leave me out of this, but let me say something,” Dogara said. “Whatever we are doing should not be driven by fear of anyone breathing down our necks; it should be because it is the right thing to do.”
He stressed the need for inclusiveness in governance, noting that Nigeria’s diversity must be reflected in leadership decisions.
“We are talking about running an inclusive government, bringing everybody in this country together, so that we can build a nation that works for all of us,” he said.
Dogara also weighed in on the issue of rotational presidency and religious balance, arguing that discussions should not be limited to regional considerations alone.
“If we are talking about rotational presidency, there is nothing stopping us from having that conversation,” he said. “This is not just about Northern Christians, but about the Christian faith as a whole.
“If you have a Muslim, whether from the North or the South, let him represent the Muslim community. And if you have a Christian, wherever he comes from, he represents the Christian faith. That way, you achieve religious balance.”
On the possibility of a Christian emerging as Tinubu’s running mate in 2027, Dogara confirmed that internal discussions were already ongoing within the party.
“It’s a discussion, and I am aware that such discussions are already taking place,” he said. “At the end of the day, whatever the president decides, nobody who is a serving president has ever lost the party primaries. So, we assume that the president will secure the party’s ticket.”
President Bola Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria at the conclusion of his current visit abroad.
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