Adewole Adebayo, the Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 election, has dismissed the notion of a "Muslim-Muslim ticket" for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 polls, describing it instead as a "zero-zero ticket."Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Adebayo argued that Nigerians are not swayed by religious sentiments and are instead seeking competent, righteous leadership regardless of faith.
He recalled addressing the issue four years ago in Kano, telling Islamic scholars (Ulamas) that those expecting a Muslim-Muslim ticket with Tinubu and Shettima might end up with "not even a single Muslim out of the two" in terms of Islamic expectations of leadership.
“From the point of view of Muslims in Nigeria, it’s a zero-zero ticket because in Islam what is expected of a leader in Islamic jurisprudence is not the religion of that leader but justice,” Adebayo stated. He emphasized that Islamic principles prioritize justice, competence, and suitability for office over religious identity or favoritism.
Adebayo further claimed that the Muslim-Muslim ticket narrative was a political tool designed "to defraud Nigerians" by exploiting religious sentiments. He stressed that both the North and the wider country are looking for a righteous leader, not one chosen along religious lines.
Highlighting current hardships, he pointed to irony in the situation of one prominent proponent of the ticket, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, noting that even El-Rufai and his family are now "crying for justice."
Adebayo concluded that there is "no support for a Muslim-Muslim ticket anywhere" and that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is merely scrambling for a narrative.
The remarks come amid renewed debate following the APC's confirmation of the Tinubu-Shettima ticket for 2027, which has sparked discussions on religious balancing versus competence in Nigerian politics.
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