Governor Sule Sparks Reactions With Christian-Christian Ticket Comment

(Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule. Photo by Punch News)

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has said he prays for a day when Nigeria will produce an all-Christian presidential ticket, expressing confidence that such a pairing would emerge victorious at the polls.

Sule spoke on Tuesday during an appearance on a television programme, where he responded to concerns raised by the Nigeria Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, over the possibility of another same-faith presidential ticket in 2027.

The governor dismissed suggestions that the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket amounted to religious exclusion.

He said the country was, in fact, overdue for a Christian-Christian pairing to test the same electoral fortune that had favoured Muslim-Muslim tickets in the past, stating that he prays for the day Nigeria will have a Christian-Christian ticket that goes on to win.

He recalled that the country had previously witnessed a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket through the late Chief Moshood Abiola in the 1993 election, noting that such pairings had gone on to record victory at the polls, pointing out that both elections have clearly shown Muslim-Muslim tickets winning.

Sule said it was expected of Kwankwaso, as an opposition figure, to raise concerns about the APC’s ticket arrangement, arguing that no governor within the party had ever made similar allegations against it.

He explained that it was normal for Kwankwaso, whom he said he respects, to make such comments given his position in the opposition, adding that no other governor within the APC would describe the party or its arrangement negatively.

The governor cited Section 14(3) of the constitution, which he said provides for inclusiveness and representation across all parts of the country, noting that Section 15 established the federal character principle around ethnicity.

He explained that these sections focus on ensuring inclusiveness and representation for all parts of the country and address ethnicity through the federal character principle, stressing that neither section makes any reference to religion.

Asked whether he had a Christian as his deputy, Sule answered in the affirmative, noting that his deputy, Emmanuel Akabe, had held the position throughout his tenure in Nasarawa State, stating that Nasarawa has always had a Christian in that role.

Pressed on why it was important to have a Christian deputy, Sule said the choice was based on competence rather than religious balancing, adding that political arrangements varied from state to state depending on local realities.

He noted that Akabe’s position was based on competence, not religious considerations, and pointed out that Nasarawa’s situation differs from the country as a whole, citing Enugu and Bayelsa as states with Christian-Christian arrangements.