The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party faction led by Julius Abure, Comrade Abayomi Arabambi, has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election, dismissing renewed criticism over the All Progressives Congress (APC) Muslim-Muslim ticket.
He argued that the President’s decision should be viewed from the perspective of political realities and governance rather than religion. According to him, competence and national interest should remain the overriding considerations ahead of the next general election.
Speaking during an exclusive interview on Eagle 102.5 FM’s Frontline programme on Monday, Arabambi said he saw nothing controversial about Tinubu’s reported decision to retain Shettima. He maintained that the debate surrounding the religious composition of the APC ticket had outlived its relevance. He insisted that Nigerians should instead evaluate the administration based on its performance over the last three years.
Responding to questions on whether the Muslim-Muslim ticket would again dominate political conversations ahead of the 2027 election, Arabambi said he did not believe religion should be made the defining issue. He noted that governance should be assessed on competence and delivery rather than the faith of those occupying public offices. He further argued that the realities of Northern Nigerian politics also played a role in such decisions.
According to him, “Well, as far as I’m concerned, I don’t see any issue in that. It’s just as clear as snow, as bright as snow, you know, and as clear as air, that the President will soon form his vice-presidential candidacy. You have to be very cautious, you know, of the way the northerner thinks.”
Arabambi explained that attempts to substitute a northern Muslim with a northern Christian might not necessarily produce the expected political outcome because of the demographic realities in the region. He argued that even within the North, Christians often acknowledge that they constitute a minority. He said this reality could not simply be ignored in political calculations.
He stated, “If you even go to say, oh, I want to pick a northerner Christian they will tell you they’re a minority. And that’s a fact. Are you getting me? They tell you they’re a minority and that’s a fact. So the President will not just want to go against the wind.”
The Labour Party chieftain also rejected suggestions that the Muslim-Muslim ticket had contributed to insecurity or discrimination against Christians. He argued that criminality in Nigeria has affected citizens irrespective of their religious affiliations. According to him, victims of kidnapping and banditry come from every faith.
He said, “The banditry in Nigeria, as they are killing Muslims they are killing Christians also. So it’s not a question of the Muslim-Muslim ticket has any positive effect or mostly negative effects, you know, on the Christians. All of us, you know, we are partaker, whether you worship the local deity, whether you are a Christian, you know, whether you’re a Muslim.”
Arabambi maintained that criminal groups do not discriminate on the basis of religion when carrying out attacks. He said once victims are identified as valuable targets, kidnappers proceed with their demands regardless of the victims’ beliefs. He therefore argued that attributing insecurity to the religious composition of the Presidency was misplaced.
He further stated, “Most of these criminal bandits, whosoever they see within their area, you know, they will just pick the person, wait for announcement to know whether they have the big fish and they will now make their demand.”
Defending the APC’s choice further, Arabambi said selecting another Muslim from the South would have been more politically problematic than retaining a northern Muslim. He argued that Northern Nigeria remains predominantly Muslim and that political leaders cannot ignore existing realities. According to him, President Tinubu merely responded to those realities.
He said, “It’s not a question of a Muslim-Musmuslim ticket, because it’s coming from the North. If a northerner person is a Muslim, you are here. To now come and pick a Muslim from the South, you know, that might be, you know, somehow counterproductive.”
Arabambi also referenced the Almajiri school initiative introduced during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He claimed there had been resistance to formal education in parts of Northern Nigeria and suggested that such historical realities should be understood when discussing northern politics. He further linked the issue to the ideological roots of Boko Haram.
According to him, “Go and Google what the Minister of Education under Buhari said. They made sure that none of them are back in the school… It was the current president that even tried to revive it.”
Asked whether the concerns raised by critics of the Muslim-Muslim ticket had been addressed through appointments and governance over the past three years, Arabambi insisted that the administration should be judged on its achievements. He argued that several economic reforms had been implemented despite the challenges inherited by the government. He urged Nigerians to focus on outcomes rather than religious sentiments.
He said, “I don’t think anybody should introduce religious sentiment. The government has performed well, you know, on the economy, you know, we now have a unified exchange rate, you know, in Nigeria.”
Arabambi also cited changes in the downstream petroleum sector as one of the administration’s accomplishments. According to him, fuel scarcity has significantly reduced compared to previous years. He maintained that these were measurable outcomes of government policy.
He stated, “Whether we like it or not, we don’t queue, you know, to buy our fuel.”
He further argued that the Tinubu administration inherited severe fiscal challenges, particularly in debt servicing. According to him, significant progress has been made in improving government finances. He maintained that the President deserved recognition for stabilising the economy.
Arabambi said, “Debt servicing a revenue ratio, you know, actually from 97, you know, the way Buhari left it, because don’t forget, the former president was servicing our debt to a ratio of 97% from our earnings.”
Responding to allegations that the administration had failed to reflect Nigeria’s diversity in federal appointments, Arabambi dismissed the criticism. He insisted that appointments should be driven primarily by merit. According to him, the Constitution gives the President powers to appoint individuals capable of delivering results.
He stated, “The power to appoint minister rests with the president… I think the president will consider that based on merit. I get it, based on merit.”
Arabambi argued that the composition of the Federal Executive Council demonstrates that the President has not excluded any part of the country. He said every appointment was made with governance in mind rather than ethnic considerations. According to him, competence should remain the principal criterion.
He added, “When you look at the composition of the Federal Executive Council, you know, it’s balanced… It’s about our country. You have to give the best, you know, to our country.”
He maintained that leaders should not merely appoint individuals to satisfy regional demands. Rather, he said appointments should reflect the capacity of individuals to move Nigeria forward. He argued that prioritising political balancing above competence could ultimately undermine governance.
Arabambi said, “It’s not just for you, because, oh, for my village, let me just go and take this person… At the end of the day, you know, you will run into problems.”
The Labour Party spokesman also pointed to the establishment of regional development commissions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as evidence of equitable governance. According to him, every region now has a platform for pursuing its developmental priorities. He maintained that this demonstrated fairness on the part of the President.
He said, “President Bola Tinubu successfully established a regional development commission, we have from northwest, northeast, north central, southeast, southwest… There is no region that will not come and convene their own.”
Arabambi argued that each commission would receive equal opportunities to pursue development projects. He said no region had been deliberately excluded from the initiative. According to him, it was now left for each commission to maximise the opportunities available.
He stated, “Everybody has their own now. So, that will show you he has the love of Nigeria, you know, attached and we should give it to him.”
The Labour Party chieftain further credited the administration with addressing outstanding international financial obligations. He also claimed the government had improved salary sustainability and strengthened fiscal management. According to him, such reforms deserved public acknowledgement.
He said, “The president successfully also cleared, you know, the seven billion backlog of international trade… We also need to celebrate ability to pay salary.”
Arabambi concluded that while political debates would continue ahead of the 2027 elections, Nigerians should place greater emphasis on governance, economic management and national development rather than religious identity. He maintained that President Tinubu’s record should ultimately determine how voters assess his administration. He reiterated that competence, not faith, should remain the deciding factor in leadership selection.
