The All Progressives Congress has firmly rejected demands from a coalition of over 1,000 northern Islamic clerics asking President Bola Tinubu to drop his 2027 re-election ambitions, maintaining that the group lacks the authority to speak for the wider Muslim population or the entire northern region.
The ruling party said it remained confident of securing significant support across northern Nigeria, despite criticism from some religious figures and concerns raised by opposition groups and sections of the APC’s own supporters.
The APC National Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, challenged the claim that the clerics represented the wider northern Muslim population.
Speaking on TVC News’ Beyond the Headlines, Bashiru questioned the group’s representative authority and said the party had been engaging religious leaders who, according to him, supported Tinubu’s re-election.
“If some individuals gather themselves together and they said they are Islamic clerics, 1,000 of them or what number do you call them? The question is that who has done accreditation for them to say that they are speaking on behalf of the Muslim Ummah?” he asked.
Bashiru said the APC had recently engaged Muslim leaders in Plateau, Kaduna, Bauchi and Kano states, claiming that prominent figures within the Islamic community had openly endorsed the President.
He also said the party had been reaching out to Christian communities in the North and had received encouraging signals from the groups it had contacted.
The APC official argued that northern Nigeria should not be treated as a politically uniform region, pointing to the different interests and political dynamics across the North-Central, North-East and North-West.
He cited the party’s grassroots structures, including ward and local government organisations, as a basis for its mobilisation strategy.
Bashiru also defended the Tinubu administration’s record, pointing to student support programmes, road construction and investment in agriculture and livestock development as measures he said would strengthen the President’s appeal in the region.
He referred to a recent APC gathering involving northern political figures, including former governors, as evidence of continued engagement with influential stakeholders.
The party, he said, was seeking a nationwide mandate rather than relying on ethnic or religious divisions.
“We don’t want to sectionalise our campaign. We don’t want to weaponise ethnic identity or recognise religion like some other political parties,” Bashiru said.
“What we are looking for is to have a pan-Nigerian mandate for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he added.
His remarks come amid wider political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general election, with the cost of living, economic reforms and the impact of government policies emerging as key campaign issues.
The opposition has criticised the administration’s handling of economic hardship, while some religious and political groups have questioned whether Tinubu should seek another term.
Bashiru rejected suggestions that these criticisms posed a decisive threat to the President’s re-election prospects.
He defended the administration’s economic policies, arguing that the removal of petrol subsidy had improved government revenues and helped states meet their financial obligations.
He also defended the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount at NNPC retail outlets, which has attracted criticism from opposition figures who argue that temporary price relief does not address the underlying cost-of-living crisis.
The APC’s confidence, however, remains a political claim rather than an electoral verdict.
Whether its engagement with religious leaders, traditional political structures and other regional stakeholders translates into votes will become clearer as campaigning intensifies.
What You Should Know
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is pushing back strongly against opposition and religious groups questioning President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. Party leaders insist they are actively securing grassroots support and engaging religious stakeholders across northern states, aiming for a unified national mandate rather than relying on sectional politics.
- Positive Impact: Enhanced political engagement and direct dialogue between the ruling party and regional religious leaders could foster better understanding and address governance concerns.
- Potential Concerns: Deepening political and religious polarization around the 2027 elections might heighten tensions as economic hardships and cost-of-living issues remain major public pain points.
