The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party faction led by Julius Abure, Comrade Abayomi Arabambi, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s reported decision to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election, arguing that competence and national interest should take precedence over religious considerations.
Arabambi made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, where he dismissed renewed criticism of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Muslim-Muslim ticket.
He maintained that the debate over the religious composition of the APC presidential ticket had become unnecessary, urging Nigerians to evaluate the Tinubu administration based on its performance rather than the faith of those occupying public office.
“Well, as far as I’m concerned, I don’t see any issue in that. It’s just as clear as snow and as clear as air that the President will soon form his vice-presidential candidacy. You have to be very cautious about the way the northerner thinks,” Arabambi said.
According to him, political realities in Northern Nigeria make the choice of a northern Muslim as running mate a strategic decision rather than a religious one.
“If you even go to say, ‘I want to pick a northern Christian,’ they will tell you they are a minority, and that’s a fact. So the President will not just want to go against the wind,” he stated.
Arabambi also dismissed claims that the Muslim-Muslim ticket had fuelled insecurity or encouraged religious discrimination, insisting that criminal violence in Nigeria affects citizens regardless of their faith.
“The banditry in Nigeria, as they are killing Muslims, they are killing Christians also. So it’s not a question of the Muslim-Muslim ticket having any positive or negative effect on Christians. All of us are partakers, whether you worship the local deity, whether you are a Christian or whether you are a Muslim,” he said.
He argued that kidnappers and other criminal groups target victims based on opportunity rather than religion.
“Most of these criminal bandits, whosoever they see within their area, they will just pick the person. They wait for information to know whether they have a big fish before making their demand,” he added.
Defending the APC’s political calculation, Arabambi said retaining a northern Muslim was more practical than selecting another Muslim from the South, given the demographic realities of the region.
“It’s not a question of a Muslim-Muslim ticket because it’s coming from the North. To now come and pick a Muslim from the South might be counterproductive,” he said.
The Labour Party spokesman also urged Nigerians to assess the Tinubu administration on the basis of governance and economic reforms rather than religious sentiments.
“I don’t think anybody should introduce religious sentiment. The government has performed well on the economy. We now have a unified exchange rate in Nigeria,” he said.
He further cited the reduction in fuel queues as one of the administration’s achievements.
“Whether we like it or not, we don’t queue to buy our fuel,” Arabambi stated.
On the issue of federal appointments, he rejected allegations that the administration had ignored the country’s diversity, insisting that merit should remain the guiding principle.
“The power to appoint ministers rests with the President. I think the President will consider that based on merit,” he said.
Arabambi argued that the composition of the Federal Executive Council reflected national inclusiveness and should not be viewed through ethnic or religious lenses.
“When you look at the composition of the Federal Executive Council, it’s balanced. It’s about our country. You have to give the best to our country,” he said.
He also pointed to the establishment of regional development commissions across the country’s six geopolitical zones as evidence of equitable governance.
“President Bola Tinubu successfully established regional development commissions for the North-West, North-East, North-Central, South-East, South-West and South-South. There is no region that will not convene its own. Everybody has their own now. That shows he has the love of Nigeria at heart,” Arabambi said.
He concluded that while political debates ahead of the 2027 general election were inevitable, Nigerians should focus more on leadership capacity, economic management and national development than on religious identity.
