Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Kwankwaso Mentions Major Issue Ahead of Tinubu in 2027

• Rabiu Kwankwaso said he was surprised President Bola Tinubu chose to retain a same-faith ticket for the 2027 presidential election
• The NDC vice-presidential candidate said the Muslim-Muslim arrangement would remain a significant factor in the next election
• Kwankwaso also defended the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance and pushed back on claims that Peter Obi lacks northern support

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Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, has said President Bola Tinubu's decision to retain a Muslim-Muslim ticket will remain a serious issue heading into the next general election.

Kwankwaso made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today on Monday, July 20, where he was asked directly whether the same-faith ticket would still matter to voters in 2027. "It has to be," he replied.

The former Kano state governor said he found Tinubu's position puzzling, particularly given the president's track record of seeking balance in other areas of his political life.

"I am even surprised that the President again is presenting the same type of ticket, and I know him; he is always somebody who likes to balance things," Kwankwaso said.

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"If you look at Lagos, he has always balanced it; even in his home, the ticket is balanced. I don't know why the ticket in Nigeria is not balanced. But he still has time from now till the time of substitution to have a balanced ticket."

Tinubu's Muslim-Muslim ticket since 2023

Tinubu, a Muslim, first drew widespread criticism in the lead-up to the 2023 presidential election when he chose former Borno state governor Kashim Shettima, also a Muslim, as his running mate on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform.

Many Nigerians argued the pairing ignored the religious sensitivities of a country whose population is roughly split between Muslims and Christians.

Despite the controversy, Tinubu won the election and has since announced he will keep Shettima on the ticket for 2027.

Kwankwaso, who ran for president in 2023 on the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) platform, is now teaming up with former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi under the NDC banner.

He said his decision to join forces with Obi came from a deeper appreciation of the ex-Anambra governor's character and vision, developed over time. He added that the two reached an agreement with little friction because their ideas on governance largely align.

Kwankwaso on what Obi-Kwankwaso ticket offers

Asked why Nigerians should back the pairing in 2027, Kwankwaso pointed to insecurity, economic hardship, poor infrastructure and a struggling education sector as the key areas the two men are prepared to tackle. He stressed that no country can meaningfully develop without a serious investment in education.

He also rejected suggestions that Obi struggles to connect with northern voters, arguing that the NDC presidential candidate has a solid base in the region and demonstrated real electoral strength there in past contests.

Peter Obi speaks on Oyo kidnapping

Legit.ng earlier reported that Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate in the 2027 general election, condemned the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo state.

Obi, who was the former governor of Anambra State, begged for the release of the children from captivity in the name of humanity.

The 2027 presidential hopeful decried the state of insecurity in the country, and his statement has started generating reactions from Nigerians.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.