A former Deputy Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Pastor Remmy Hazzan, has defended the All Progressives Congress’ decision to retain its Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the arrangement poses no threat to Christians or Nigeria’s religious balance.
Hazzan, who is also the Assistant Pastor in Charge of Province in the Redeemed Christian Church of God and a member of the APC, stated this during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, on Monday.
The former lawmaker dismissed concerns that the party’s presidential ticket undermines the interests of Christians, maintaining that President Bola Tinubu has consistently demonstrated religious tolerance.
“I belong to the All Progressives Congress. I believe that we are not religious bigots. We do not, in any way, promote anything that shows favour for one religion or threatens the existence of another,” Hazzan said.
He argued that Tinubu’s marriage to Senator Oluremi Tinubu, an ordained pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, reflected the President’s commitment to religious inclusiveness.
“The wife of the President is an ordained pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God. If such a man could live with his Christian wife, an ordained pastor, for as long as they have been married, that shows his level of religious tolerance. We believe that same disposition will continue to manifest in his leadership of Nigeria,” he added.
Speaking on the controversy surrounding the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, Hazzan said the decision was informed by political realities rather than religious considerations.
“The reasons for the candidature of Mr President and his vice-presidential candidate were to address certain political exigencies. The aspect of religious sentiment or any threat to another religion has not manifested in any way whatsoever. To that extent, we will not have any problem marketing that ticket in 2027,” he said.
Hazzan also rejected claims that the APC considered Christians politically insignificant by retaining the same ticket, stressing that the emergence of a Southern Muslim presidential candidate was unprecedented in Nigeria’s political history.
“Nobody has said the Christian voting bloc is insignificant. This is the first time that a Southern Muslim has emerged as the presidential candidate of a major political party in Nigeria,” he stated.
According to him, previous elections involving Southern Christian presidential candidates did not generate similar debates because Northern Muslim running mates were widely accepted.
“This is the first time we are actually having a Southern Muslim. When we had Southern Christians, the Muslim majority in the North did not have any problem producing a running mate from the Islamic faith. This time, picking a Northern Christian would require a lot of convincing among Northern Muslims within the party and the voting population,” Hazzan said.
He maintained that the APC’s decision was neither an act of religious exclusion nor a slight against Christians.
“It took a lot of courage for President Bola Tinubu to make that decision. It was not because there was disregard for the Christian faith, but because the party considered it the most practical political strategy under the circumstances,” he added.
The former Deputy Speaker further urged Nigerians to place competence above religious affiliation in choosing political leaders.
“The best of us should rule the rest of us, not the worst of us ruling the best of us. Christians should produce their best. Muslims should produce their best. Even adherents of traditional religion should produce their best. When we have the best people offering themselves for leadership, the citizens will ultimately benefit,” he said.
Assessing the Tinubu administration after three years in office, Hazzan acknowledged that some of the government’s reforms had imposed hardship on Nigerians but expressed optimism that the country was beginning to recover.
“The current administration has done so much and I think we are beginning to get to the point of equilibrium. It is becoming clear that we actually needed that period if we are to have any hope of returning to prosperity. Mr President should be allowed to finish the good work that he began,” he said.
On the role of Christians in governance, Hazzan urged believers to participate actively in politics rather than leaving it to others.
“For a very long time, the church was deceived into believing that politics is dirty and only dirty people can stay in it. When something is dirty, it needs cleaning. You don’t clean from outside, you clean better from within,” he said.
He also dismissed the notion that politics inevitably corrupts Christians, saying believers could serve in public office without compromising their faith.
“You need the consciousness of the moral values you have embraced as a Christian and ensure that you are not carried away by the supposed pleasures of office to the point that you forget where you are coming from,” Hazzan said.
