2027: Pick Christian deputy or risk losing votes – Vatsa tells Bago

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Niger State and former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Jonathan Vatsa, has urged Governor Mohammed Umar Bago to pick a Christian running mate for the 2027 governorship election, warning that the party risks losing support over what he described as the marginalisation of Christians.

Vatsa gave the warning while speaking with journalists in Minna on Saturday, arguing that the APC’s recent primary elections, in which almost all candidates emerged as Muslims, had heightened concerns among members of the Christian community.

He claimed that only one Christian secured the party’s ticket for the State House of Assembly, representing Munya Local Government Area, while all three senatorial candidates, 11 House of Representatives candidates and 26 of the 27 House of Assembly candidates are Muslims.

According to him, Christians have also been largely excluded from political appointments, citing the composition of local government leadership across the state.

The former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism

alleged that despite Governor Bago’s public engagement with Christian groups, the pattern of appointments and candidate selection tells a different story.

“It’s not about attending church programmes, singing choruses or making donations. What matters is fairness and inclusion in appointments and elective positions,” he said.

Vatsa argued that choosing a Christian deputy governorship candidate in 2027 would help address the perceived imbalance and strengthen the APC’s chances at the polls.

“That is the only way people like us can confidently approach the Christian community to campaign for the party. If an opposition party picks a Christian deputy governor, it could attract sympathy votes,” he said.

Vatsa also maintained that the 2027 elections would be driven more by the credibility of candidates than party platforms.