*Challenges Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai Coalition To Present Policy Alternatives
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Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has asked to be left out of speculations suggesting he could replace Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate ahead of the 2027 general election, while simultaneously dismissing the opposition African Democratic Congress as unserious for failing to present viable policy alternatives to the current administration.
Dogara spoke on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, addressing both internal APC discussions on the Muslim-Muslim ticket controversy and the opposition coalition’s efforts to unseat the ruling party in 2027.
Speaking against the backdrop of growing debates within the All Progressives Congress over whether the party may again present a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the next presidential contest, Dogara made his position clear.
“I would have sincerely pleaded with you to leave me out of this, but let me say something. Whatever we are doing shouldn’t be because we are afraid of anybody breathing down our necks; it should be because it is the right thing to do,” Dogara stated.
The former Speaker stressed the need for an inclusive government capable of uniting the country across religious and regional lines.
“We are talking about running an inclusive government, bringing everybody in this country together, so that we can build a nation that works for all of us,” he said.
“So, if we are talking about rotational presidency, there is nothing stopping us from having that discussion as well, because you are not just talking about Northern Christians but about the Christian faith as a whole.”
Dogara elaborated on his vision for religious representation in government: “If you have a Muslim, whether he comes from the North or the South, let it be that he is representing the Muslim community. And if you have a Christian, wherever he comes from, he represents the Christian faith. That way, you achieve religious balance.”
On the possibility of fielding a Christian running mate in 2027, Dogara revealed that the matter remains open for discussion within the party.
“It’s a discussion, and I am aware that such discussions are already taking place,” he disclosed.
However, the former Speaker noted that the final decision would rest largely with President Tinubu, adding a political reality check to the ongoing debate.
“At the end of the day, whatever the president decides, nobody who is a serving president has ever lost the party primaries. So, we assume that the president will get the party’s ticket,” he stated.
Turning his attention to the opposition, Dogara declared that leaders of the African Democratic Congress cannot be taken seriously ahead of the 2027 general elections unless they present clear alternatives to the reforms being implemented by the Federal Government.
The APC chieftain said the opposition party has so far failed to articulate a people-centred vision that distinguishes it from the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“I haven’t heard the discussion centering on the people. All I hear is anger about one or two things. What vision or idea are they rallying behind? I have yet to see that,” Dogara said.
He added that criticism alone would not suffice, stressing that Nigerians expect viable policy alternatives.
“Until they bring alternatives to what the President is doing — and we look at them critically and see they are better than what we have — we cannot take them seriously. In the absence of that, everyone knows it is just gimmicks that will take them nowhere,” he declared.
In July 2025, an opposition coalition adopted the ADC as its political platform ahead of the 2027 elections. The coalition includes prominent political figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former presidential candidate Peter Obi, ex-ministers Rotimi Amaechi and Rauf Aregbesola, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Senate President David Mark.
The ADC has vowed to unseat the APC in the next election, citing rising poverty levels and economic hardship across the country.
However, Dogara dismissed what he described as rhetorical attacks, urging opposition figures to move beyond complaints.
“That is the kind of talk I hear,” he said, suggesting that the opposition’s messaging has been more focused on anger than substantive policy proposals.
The former lawmaker also called on Nigerians to exercise patience with the ongoing reforms of the Tinubu administration, particularly in the areas of security and the economy.
“I think we are on the right track, even if people are not feeling it. When we talk about the challenges relating to security, that’s taken us how many years to get to the point where President Tinubu took over,” he said.
Dogara noted that no government could reverse long-standing challenges overnight, adding that the current administration has shown leadership in sectors previously neglected.
“There’s nobody with a magical wand that can make everything disappear overnight. But from the time he assumed office until now, we have seen leadership in areas that were previously neglected,” he emphasized.
Dogara’s comments come at a critical juncture for Nigerian politics as all sides begin positioning for the 2027 elections. His call to be excluded from VP speculation suggests he may not be interested in the role, despite speculation within some quarters that he could provide religious balance to a potential Tinubu second term ticket.
His framing of religious representation—where a Muslim candidate represents the Muslim community regardless of region, and a Christian represents the Christian faith—offers a philosophical approach to the contentious issue that has divided the APC since 2023.
Meanwhile, his sharp criticism of the ADC coalition signals that the ruling party intends to challenge the opposition not just on political grounds but on the substance of their policy alternatives, demanding that they present concrete solutions rather than merely critique the current administration.
The former Speaker’s acknowledgment that discussions about a Christian running mate are “already taking place” within the APC suggests that the party leadership is actively considering adjustments to its ticket composition, though he made clear that President Tinubu would have the final say on the matter.
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