A senior member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Haruna Yerima, has cautioned the party against altering the Tinubu–Shettima presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing such moves as politically risky.
In a statement released in Abuja, the academic and former lawmaker argued that individuals pushing for changes to the ticket were the same forces that opposed the Tinubu–Shettima combination before the 2023 elections.
Yerima warned that any attempt to disrupt the existing arrangement could undermine the party’s prospects in 2027, stressing that continuity remained critical to electoral stability.
He expressed concern that those who previously doubted the ticket’s viability were now actively campaigning for its replacement, urging party leaders to resist such pressure to avoid internal damage.
According to him, proponents of altering the ticket lacked strategic foresight and a proper understanding of Nigeria’s political dynamics.
The APC chieftain also dismissed claims that the North-Central zone had been marginalised, insisting that the region had received fair representation through several top-level federal appointments.
Yerima further rejected suggestions that international narratives, including claims linked to former United States President Donald Trump, should influence Nigeria’s internal political decisions.
He maintained that the choice of Nigeria’s Vice President remained a sovereign matter, accusing political opportunists of spreading unfounded narratives to advance personal interests.
Defending Vice President Kashim Shettima, Yerima described him as a loyal, disciplined and effective deputy who has consistently supported President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He added that Shettima’s political record, experience and intellectual capacity were widely acknowledged, even by critics within the political space.
The remarks come amid recent concerns raised by the Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkarim Lawan, over what he described as the marginalisation of Vice President Shettima during certain political engagements in the North-East.
Lawan had specifically cited the absence of Shettima’s image from a banner displayed at a recent North-East governors and APC stakeholders’ meeting in Maiduguri, a development that has continued to generate debate within party circles.