Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential running mate for the Nigeria Democratic Congress, recently responded to comments made by Islamic cleric Sani Jingir. Jingir had publicly encouraged Muslims to support an All Progressives Congress (APC) Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2027 election, asserting that he would continue to champion this arrangement as he did in 2023. During a gathering in Kano, Jingir stated that his support for a religious-aligned ticket was a way to promote Islam, suggesting that such a position should not offend those of other faiths.
In a subsequent interview with DCL Hausa, Kwankwaso challenged the discourse surrounding the religious composition of political tickets. He defended President Bola Tinubu, describing him as a leader who prioritizes political equilibrium. Kwankwaso pointed to Tinubu’s history in Lagos, where the President consistently paired Muslim and Christian candidates as governors and deputies. Furthermore, Kwankwaso noted that this balance is also present in the President’s personal life, humorously referring to the marriage between President Tinubu and First Lady Remi Tinubu as a domestic example of a Muslim-Christian union.
