|By Chinwendu Nwani
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has distanced himself from growing speculation that he could replace Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election.
Dogara spoke on Sunday amid renewed debates within political circles over the likelihood of the All Progressives Congress (APC) retaining a Muslim–Muslim presidential ticket in the next election cycle.
Appearing on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, the former Speaker appealed to commentators to exclude him from such discussions, stressing that decisions about the country’s leadership should be guided by fairness and national interest rather than political pressure.
“I would have sincerely pleaded with you to leave me out of this, but let me say something,” Dogara said. “Whatever we are doing shouldn’t be because we are afraid of anybody breathing down our necks; it should be because it is the right thing to do.”
He argued that Nigeria’s diversity demands an inclusive approach to governance, noting that political arrangements should foster unity and give all segments of the country a sense of belonging.
According to him, conversations around rotational presidency and religious representation should not be avoided, as they touch on broader national cohesion beyond regional or sectional considerations.
“We are talking about running an inclusive government, bringing everybody in this country together, so that we can build a nation that works for all of us,” Dogara stated.
He further explained that achieving religious balance should focus on representation of faiths rather than geography, suggesting that a Muslim or Christian candidate should be seen as representing their religious community regardless of whether they come from the North or the South.
“If you have a Muslim, whether he comes from the North or the South, let it be that he is representing the Muslim community. And if you have a Christian, wherever he comes from, he represents the Christian faith. That way, you achieve religious balance,” he said.
On the possibility of a Christian emerging as the APC’s vice-presidential candidate in 2027, Dogara confirmed that such conversations are ongoing within political circles.
“It’s a discussion, and I am aware that such discussions are already taking place,” he said.
However, he noted that the final decision rests with President Tinubu, adding that history shows that incumbent presidents rarely lose their party’s presidential ticket.
“At the end of the day, whatever the president decides, nobody who is a serving president has ever lost the party primaries. So, we assume that the president will get the party’s ticket,” Dogara added.
