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Yakubu Dogara dismisses talks of replacing Vice President Shettima ahead of 2027.
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Ex-Speaker calls for inclusiveness, religious balance and national unity.
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Says Tinubu likely to retain APC ticket as sitting president.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has asked to be excluded from speculations suggesting he could replace Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election.
Dogara made the clarification on Sunday while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, amid growing debates within the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the possibility of retaining a Muslim–Muslim ticket in 2027.
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The former Speaker stressed that decisions about leadership should be guided by what is right for the country rather than fear or political pressure.
“I would have sincerely pleaded to be left out of this discussion, but let me say this: whatever we are doing should be because it is the right thing to do, not because we are afraid of anyone breathing down our necks,” Dogara said.
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He emphasised the need for an inclusive government that brings Nigerians together, adding that discussions around religious balance and rotational leadership should be open and honest.
According to him, the debate goes beyond Northern Christians and touches on the Christian faith nationwide, noting that political representation should reflect religious inclusiveness.
“If you have a Muslim, whether from the North or the South, let him represent the Muslim community. If you have a Christian, wherever he comes from, he represents the Christian faith. That way, you achieve balance,” Dogara stated.
On whether a Christian could emerge as Tinubu’s running mate in 2027, the former Speaker acknowledged that conversations were already ongoing within political circles.
However, he noted that history favours sitting presidents during party primaries.
“At the end of the day, whatever the president decides, nobody who is a serving president has ever lost the party primaries. We assume the president will get the party’s ticket,” Dogara added.