•Northern leaders rule out Bishop Kukah, say he is ‘politically exposed’ •X-ray Gen Musa, Yilwatda

Northern political strategists and opinion leaders have ruled out the possibility of the Bishop of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, as a possible replacement for Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 election.

A recent push, said to have been instigated by the United States of America, had ignited debates around the Muslim-Muslim ticket used by President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 election.

President Tinubu had paired with Senator Shettima in a Muslim-Muslim arrangement that was opposed by some Christian leaders in the country.

But the opposition died down a bit following massive campaigns which highlighted Tinubu’s disposition to religious tolerance and the religious harmony that exists in the South-West, where he hails from.

However, recent reports indicated that the administration of President Donald Trump believes that the country needs the symbolism of religious harmony not just at the level of the South-West, but at the topmost levels of power in the country.

Although a source in the North said that America “may be seeking the symbolism of religious balance to hide its true intentions” in Nigeria, it was gathered that the northern political establishment is not waving off the discussions without deep checks.

Out of the three Christian names that recently emerged as possible candidates for religious balance, it was learnt that stakeholders in the North have, however, ruled out the possibility of the candidacy of Bishop Kukah, as some analysts and northern strategists were said to have branded him “politically exposed”.

It was gathered that the conclusion was not because he had occupied a political office before, but a description of his roles in the national peace committee and his outspokenness on national issues.

The source stated that the bishop is already seen as a statesman and that putting him in a political office may limit his contributions to nationhood.

On the heels of the said American push, however, it was gathered that other names aside from that of Bishop Kukah have been analysed by the northern political establishment. The names include the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, and the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.

A source said: “Bishop Kukah may not fly because some analysts consider him ‘politically exposed’, and that is largely because of his roles in the life of the nation so far. General Musa has not been that exposed. He served in the military, and he is now a minister.

“He was born in Sokoto and is not seen as controversial. Another gentleman out there is Prof. Yilwatda. He has only recently emerged on the scene, but like Musa, appears acceptable to some caucuses.”

It was gathered that even before the recent push for religious balance at the presidency, the North had some months earlier actually started taking deeper looks at the likely candidates that would be recommended as replacements for the vice president.

Recall that the issue of a Tinubu/Shettima break in 2027 had been on the cards more than a year ago. At least six names had originally emerged in the debate for likely replacements for Shettima, even before the latest American push.

Sources said that some leaders across the country have also been X-raying the possibility of religious balance in the Tinubu cabinet to reduce the sort of tension that was orchestrated ahead of the 2023 election.

Some of the names that emerged included the former national chairman of the APC, Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje; the former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, and a former governor of Kano State and leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso.

Others included the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas; former Speaker Yakubu Dogara, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

It was, however, learnt that the team of political analysts had opined that if the president prefers to field a Christian as Shettima’s replacement, he could go the way of Dogara, while the other candidates were also X-rayed, with their strengths and possible weaknesses.

However, the emergence of the push from the Americans for religious balance ahead of the 2027 election has diversified the search and the level of discussion, a source stated over the weekend. (TRIBUNE)