The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the North has yet to take a firm stance on the 2027 general elections, especially regarding the possibility of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) fielding a Muslim-Muslim ticket once again.
During the 2023 elections, Christian leaders across Nigeria rejected the APC’s all-Muslim presidential ticket, citing concerns that it would exacerbate religious divisions within the country.
However, on January 25, 2025, the Chairman of Northern CAN, Yakubu Pam, praised President Bola Tinubu for demonstrating “inclusive governance.” Although Pam had opposed Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2023, he now highlighted the importance of inclusivity in government. “For me, the most important thing is a government that is inclusive, and as far as they have done the Muslim-Muslim ticket, we have also seen reasonable inclusiveness,” Pam said.
In an interview on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, Pam stated that Northern Christians aim to secure the Vice President position for the 2027 elections.
However, when asked if he would support an all-Muslim ticket should President Tinubu choose to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate, Pam avoided providing a direct answer. He emphasized that Northern Christians are not focused on the 2027 election yet.
“Let me make it clear: as Northern Christians, we will advocate for the position of Vice President if the President is a Muslim from the South. We will never stop that. We also know that our members are in various political parties; Northern CAN is not aligned with any specific party. Our main focus is on the current administration, and that’s why we’ve spoken about inclusiveness,” he explained.
Pressed further on whether he would support a continuation of the Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027, Pam said that CAN would issue an official position when the time is right.
“If he decides not to continue with Shettima, CAN will have a position. Not just Northern CAN, but the national CAN will make a statement. We will announce our stance by 2027. But we haven’t reached that point yet,” he concluded.
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