A fresh political storm has erupted after former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar reopened the controversial story behind the 2015 presidential race, claiming that Bola Ahmed Tinubu initially pushed for a Muslim-Muslim ticket before eventually settling for a Christian running mate.
Atiku, in a Hausa-language interview shared on social media, alleged that Tinubu wanted to be the running mate to Muhammadu Buhari after Buhari emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but pressure over religious balance forced a rethink.
The revelation comes years after the heated debate over Buhari’s choice of running mate, which eventually saw the emergence of Professor Yemi Osinbajo, a Christian and former Lagos State Attorney-General, as Buhari’s vice-presidential candidate.
Atiku also claimed that Tinubu had earlier attempted to become his own running mate after he won the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but he rejected the move because he believed a Muslim-Muslim ticket would not serve Nigeria’s interests.
Recounting the episode, Atiku said Tinubu sent a group of respected political figures, including former Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Ikimi and former APC national chairman Bisi Akande, to convince him to accept Tinubu as his running mate.
According to Atiku, the delegation told him that Tinubu was ready to support his presidential ambition and wanted to work with him as his deputy.
But Atiku said he turned down the proposal, insisting that Nigeria’s religious diversity made it unsuitable for two Muslims to occupy the top positions on the presidential ticket.
He said he told the elders that they should explain to Tinubu why such an arrangement would be difficult to sell to Nigerians, adding that he could not support a Muslim-Muslim ticket because of the country’s delicate religious balance.
The disagreement, Atiku claimed, led to their political paths separating, with Tinubu later backing the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua during the 2007 presidential election.
Years later, Atiku said their paths crossed again during Buhari’s 2015 presidential campaign.
According to him, Buhari visited his Abuja residence after winning the APC presidential primary and sought his support to defeat the then ruling PDP candidate.
Atiku claimed he agreed to support Buhari but attached one major condition — that Buhari must not run with another Muslim as his vice-presidential candidate.
He alleged that he had been informed that Tinubu wanted to become Buhari’s running mate, but Buhari assured him that he would not pick a Muslim deputy.
Atiku said the issue later created tension between Buhari and Tinubu, claiming that Tinubu was unhappy because he believed Buhari had gone against an earlier understanding.
He alleged that after discussions involving religious leaders and party stakeholders, Tinubu eventually suggested that Buhari should pick his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, because she is a Christian.
However, Atiku claimed Buhari rejected the idea, saying he was not comfortable with choosing a female running mate at the time.
He added that after further consultations, Tinubu eventually nominated Osinbajo, his former Attorney-General in Lagos State, as a compromise candidate, and Buhari accepted the choice.
The claims have reopened old political conversations about the negotiations, alliances and religious considerations that shaped the APC’s historic victory in the 2015 presidential election.
Neither Tinubu nor other figures mentioned in Atiku’s account had responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.
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