Farouk Aliyu, Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has weighed in, stressing that the decision is ultimately a political calculation and that the electorate will have the final say, urging Nigerians to focus on numbers and representation rather than speculating about religious imbalance.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, Aliyu explained that the choice of running mates rests squarely with the party and its candidates, highlighting that demographic realities should guide any political decision, emphasising that both Muslim and Christian voters must have confidence that the government is impartial in its governance.
“In terms of their values, their governance. It’s for the people to decide. What I’m saying, it then left for the people to decide. If you fill Muslim-Muslim ticket, if the people of this country feel so bad about it, so be it. Let them vote for any party of their choice.”
He further explained that the northern region’s demographics make it practical for parties to select a Muslim candidate if the numbers dictate, adding, “In my opinion, the numbers will be looked at whether to fill in a Muslim or a Christian. I mean, the numbers are there to show. Whether in the northern part of the country there are more Muslims is absolutely without doubt. There are more Muslims in the northern part of the country. So any party can decide to either pick a Christian. But, I mean, if it goes in terms of numbers, certainly there are more Muslims in the north, which means it will be best for the party to take a Muslim from the northern part of the country.”
Aliyu dismissed concerns that a Muslim-Muslim ticket would alienate southern Christians, stressing that representation should reflect population distribution rather than assumptions of favoritism. “No. We’re talking about numbers. We’re talking about numbers. In the northern part of this country, there are more Muslims than the Christians. So no representation. So that’s it.”
On potential political consequences, he acknowledged that any decision contrary to demographic realities could cause friction in the north. “Certainly, if you drop a Muslim for a Christian in the north, there’ll be a problem. Certainly, that’s because of the numbers, that’s what we’re talking about.”
Aliyu also addressed broader criticisms of political leadership and advisory teams, insisting that President Bola Tinubu’s decisions are informed by a wide range of advisors across the country, not limited to elite urban centers. “I think there are so many people around the president who are not from Ikoyi and Victoria Island. I mean, I can name a lot of them, you know. But of course, he has people that are working with him that he knows more than other people. And as a president of Nigeria, you cannot be said to be leading the country with just a few people. And I’m sure President Bola Tinubu is not doing that. There are people across the country that help him to govern this country.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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