Ignored Warnings, Growing Fallout: Tinubu and the Lingering Crisis of the Muslim–Muslim Ticket

Before Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, Primate Elijah Ayodele of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church stood almost alone in vehemently opposing the adoption of a Muslim–Muslim ticket by the All Progressives Congress (APC). While party leaders and political strategists pushed ahead, the cleric repeatedly cautioned that such a decision would be detrimental to national unity and stability.

Well before Senator Kashim Shettima emerged as Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate, Primate Ayodele warned the APC and its presidential flagbearer that pairing two Muslims on the ticket would deepen religious fault lines in the country. According to him, the move would be widely interpreted as an attempt to Islamize Nigeria, ultimately provoking religious tension and crisis. He maintained that the decision ran contrary to God’s will for the nation and would attract divine opposition.

In a series of strongly worded statements, the cleric declared:
“APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket is an Islamic and jihadist agenda that God is against for Nigeria. This is also an attempt to silence Christians in Nigeria, and it will lead to a serious religious crisis in the country.

“APC has committed a very big blunder; God will not support the APC for this mistake, it’s against the plan of God for the prosperity, unity, and strength of Nigeria tomorrow.

‘’Senator Kashim Shettima, as the vice president, will not bring anything good to Nigeria. God rejects the Muslim-Muslim ticket for Nigeria.”

Primate Ayodele also took aim at Christian leaders who publicly supported the ticket, warning that such backing would attract divine punishment. He insisted that silence would be wiser than endorsing what he described as an agenda opposed to God’s will.

‘’God is against any pastor or Christian leader who supports APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket; they should keep their mouth shut if they don’t want to face the wrath of God.

“God is against the ticket and has kicked against the plans of the APC to retake Nigeria. The APC is playing God with the Muslim-Muslim ticket; they are so proud of their mistake, God is ready to fight the party for the presidential election, the APC ticket is dead on arrival.”

Despite these warnings, Tinubu and the APC proceeded with the controversial combination and went on to win the election. However, recent international and domestic developments have revived debates around the wisdom of that decision, with many now pointing back to Primate Ayodele’s prophecies.

Central to the renewed scrutiny is Nigeria’s strained relationship with the United States over persistent attacks on Christians, which American authorities have described in stark terms, including references to genocide. These concerns culminated in Nigeria being designated a “Country of Particular Concern,” a move that has intensified diplomatic pressure on the Tinubu administration.

Among the issues raised by U.S. officials is the perceived imbalance in Nigeria’s leadership structure, beginning with a President and Vice President who are both Muslims. American authorities have linked this imbalance to the continued violence against Christians, frequently attributing the attacks to Islamic extremists. This stance was underscored by reports of U.S. military action against extremist hideouts, including a bombing carried out on Christmas Day.

Since then, the Nigerian presidency has reportedly invested significant resources in efforts to reassure the international community that Nigeria is not an Islamic state. Only recently, reports emerged that the government spent approximately $9 million to hire a lobbying firm in the United States to address these concerns.

Amid mounting pressure, President Tinubu is now said to be at a political crossroads, with growing speculation that he may consider replacing Vice President Kashim Shettima with a Christian from the North ahead of the 2027 elections. Retaining another Muslim–Muslim ticket, observers argue, would likely attract even more international scrutiny, particularly from the United States, and could be interpreted as a renewed attempt to Islamize the country—an outcome that may adversely affect Tinubu’s re-election prospects.

For critics, the unfolding situation is a reminder of what might have been avoided. They argue that had Tinubu heeded Primate Ayodele’s counsel and selected a Northern Christian as his running mate in 2023, Nigeria’s current challenges—especially the framing of the crisis as a “Christian Genocide” by international actors—might have been mitigated.

In the end, the controversy surrounding the Muslim–Muslim ticket continues to cast a long shadow over the Tinubu administration. To many observers, it reinforces an age-old adage: actions have consequences—and, as events unfold, President Tinubu appears to be confronting the full weight of his political choices.