Babachir Lawal Muslim-Muslim ticket remark sparks APC backlash as party accuses ex-SGF of bitterness over failed vice-presidential ambition.
Babachir Lawal Muslim-Muslim ticket remark has drawn sharp criticism from the All Progressives Congress, which described the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s comments as divisive and driven by “personal bitterness.”
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Lawal had claimed that the Muslim-Muslim ticket of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima emboldened attacks on Christians, alleging that the administration’s composition signalled disregard for religious balance in governance.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, the ex-SGF argued that the government’s “deliberate actions” gave extremists justification for targeting Christians, adding that the “Christian genocide verdict” reportedly mentioned by former US President Donald Trump had been ignored by Nigerian authorities.
Reacting on Tuesday, APC National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, told The PUNCH that Lawal’s assertions were unfair and motivated by frustration over his failure to secure the vice-presidential slot in 2023.
“For Babachir Lawal to start blaming the Muslim-Muslim ticket for the killings in Nigeria is quite unfortunate,” Arodiogbu said. “He has developed a mindset of, ‘If I can’t get it, let the house scatter.’ It is the same trajectory of a grumbling loser.”
Arodiogbu insisted that fears of an “Islamisation agenda” had proven unfounded, pointing out that Tinubu’s governance style and appointments reflected religious inclusivity. “As a Christian, I would have also preferred a Christian deputy,” he admitted, “but the president’s wife is a pastor, and that shows his level of balance and tolerance.”
The APC chieftain maintained that the country’s insecurity was not religiously motivated, stressing that “Christians are being killed just like Muslims.” He accused Lawal of exploiting sensitive issues for political relevance, calling his statements “a reflection of personal disappointment rather than national concern.”
Lawal had also criticised plans to promote a Halal economy — a system of trade and finance aligned with Islamic principles — as evidence of creeping Islamisation. “What do we expect when they have a Muslim-Muslim government?” he asked rhetorically.
But the ruling party dismissed the claim as a misrepresentation, asserting that the initiative was purely economic and not religious.
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The Babachir Lawal Muslim-Muslim ticket remark has therefore reignited public debate about Nigeria’s religious balance in leadership — an issue that continues to shape political discourse nearly two years after the 2023 elections.
