A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu, has said Nigerians have shifted their attention away from the controversy over President Bola Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, arguing that the country’s economic challenges have become a greater priority.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV’s Sunday Politics, Osita Okechukwu said soaring living costs and economic hardship now dominate public discourse.
According to him, Nigerians are no longer preoccupied with the religious composition of the presidency but are instead concerned about what he described as “stomach infrastructure.”
Osita Okechukwu further argued that President Tinubu’s actions over the past three years have shown that his administration does not formulate policies based on religious considerations or in favour of any particular faith.
He also called on the President to assign more responsibilities to Vice President Kashim Shettima, especially in the areas of economic management and national security.
Referencing a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report, which warned that rising prices of essential goods could deepen poverty and food insecurity despite signs of macroeconomic improvement, Okechukwu maintained that Shettima could play a more active role in tackling some of Nigeria’s pressing economic challenges.
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BACKSTORY:
The Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2023 presidential election remains one of the most debated political decisions in Nigeria’s recent democratic history.
When President Bola Tinubu chose former Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima as his running mate, the decision generated widespread reactions across the country. While APC leaders defended the move as a strategic political calculation aimed at securing electoral victory, critics argued that it failed to reflect Nigeria’s religious diversity and raised concerns about inclusiveness in the country’s leadership.
Despite the controversy, Tinubu and Shettima went on to win the 2023 presidential election and have since maintained that their administration is committed to serving all Nigerians regardless of religion or ethnicity. However, the debate over the Muslim-Muslim ticket has continued to resurface in national political discussions, particularly as preparations for the 2027 general election gather momentum.
Against this backdrop, a founding member of the APC, Osita Okechukwu, argued that public attention has shifted away from the religious composition of the presidency. According to him, worsening economic conditions, rising inflation and the high cost of living have become the dominant concerns of Nigerians. He maintained that citizens are now more interested in policies that improve their daily lives than in the controversy surrounding the Muslim-Muslim ticket, while urging President Tinubu to entrust Vice President Kashim Shettima with greater responsibilities in tackling the country’s economic and security challenges.
