During an appearance on Arise Television’s The Morning Show, Aliyu defended President Bola Tinubu’s decision to keep Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 election, claiming that the APC has already gained the trust of Nigerians in the last election. Aliyu emphasized that under President Tinubu, concerns regarding religious marginalization have been alleviated, reinforcing that governance has been conducted without religious bias.

Reflecting on previous criticism regarding the two Muslim candidates fielded in the 2023 elections, Aliyu mentioned that many feared Christians would be marginalized, but asserted that such apprehensions have proven unfounded. He maintained that Tinubu’s leadership transcends religious affiliations, framing his governance approach as inclusive and unifying. The decision to retain Shettima was presented as a strategic move to avoid unnecessary political complications, ensuring continuity in leadership.

Aliyu expressed confidence that Nigerians would support the Tinubu-Shettima ticket again in the upcoming election, arguing that despite past challenges, the public has placed their trust in the candidates before and would do so again. The APC’s choice to field Tinubu (a Muslim from the South-West) and Shettima (a Muslim from the North-East) had previously sparked a national debate, primarily due to concerns from Christian groups – such as the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria – who argued that this decision overlooked Nigeria’s rich religious diversity and traditional practice of balancing power between religions. However, the APC maintained that their choices were based on competence and strategic electoral considerations, culminating in the successful election of Tinubu and Shettima on May 29, 2023.