EDITOR.
When the All Progressives Congress (APC) was founded in 2014, many Christians rejected it, labeling it a “Muslim party” with an alleged agenda to Islamize Nigeria. Those of us who dared to support the party were vilified, branded as enemies of Christianity and even anti-Christ.
However, after APC won the 2015 elections and formed the federal government, many of our loudest accusers quickly joined the party ranks. Notably, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who had once criticized the APC, claimed he had “seen the light” and defected.
The 2023 elections saw a repetition of this pattern, particularly in Christian-dominated regions. The Tinubu/Shettima Muslim-Muslim ticket was weaponized against APC supporters, who were demonized and condemned, especially in Plateau State, where supporting APC became synonymous with betrayal of faith.
Ironically, today, many of the same voices that led the charge against the Muslim-Muslim ticket are now enjoying presidential appointments and high-level engagements with the Tinubu administration. Even more paradoxical, some of the Christians who once labeled APC leaders as agents of the devil are now celebrating those same individuals in churches.
This raises a crucial question: Has the Muslim-Muslim ticket changed? If not, then what has changed in the hearts and minds of those who once stood vehemently against it? It is hypocritical to condemn the ticket on religious grounds, only to turn around and reap benefits from the very government it produced.
Let it be clear: the growing discontent with the Tinubu administration has nothing to do with religion. It stems from anti-people economic policies that have unleashed untold hardship, poverty, and hunger on the masses. No amount of political theatre, whether in Arewa House, churches, or mosques can salvage the situation. Only good governance can.
No propaganda, no media campaign, and no political gimmick can erase the disappointment Nigerians feel. If the APC does not confront and resolve the national crises of insecurity, economic hardship, and social injustice, it will suffer a decisive defeat in 2027.
The 2027 election will not be about ethnicity, religion, or region. It will be a referendum between the poor and the ruling class, between survival and continued hardship, between justice and injustice, and ultimately between peace and national chaos. It will be a battle for the very soul of democracy in Nigeria.
There will be no room for rigging. Nigerians will monitor, document, and announce results from polling units even before INEC attempts to. There will be no “technical glitches.” The electoral process must reflect the will of the people.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can only secure re-election through performance, not by invoking entitlement or chanting “emilokan.” In 2027, it is not his turn, it is the people’s turn to decide.
Let the truth be told.
Barrister Solomon Dalung
