2027: We Shouldn’t Be Scared About Asking For Religious Balance — Dogara

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said that discussions about religious balance in Nigeria’s political leadership should not stem from fear or pressure but from a genuine desire to uphold justice and inclusion.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Today’ on Sunday night, Dogara said that calls for a rotational presidency or religious balancing ahead of the 2027 elections were legitimate and consistent with the nation’s quest for unity.

“Whatever we’re doing shouldn’t be because we’re afraid of anybody bringing down our legs,” Dogara said. “It should be because it is the right thing to be done. We are talking about running an inclusive government, about bringing everybody in this country together so we can build a nation that works for all of us.”

He explained that discussions about the possibility of a Christian running mate or balancing representation in 2027 in the All Progressives Congress (APC) were ongoing, emphasising that such debates should be guided by fairness rather than fear.

“If we are having a discussion about rotational presidency, there is no stopping us from having that discussion (religious balancing) as well,” he added. “When you’re talking, you’re not talking about just northern Christians—you’re talking about the Christian faith as a whole.”

Dogara stressed that achieving religious balance in leadership is an issue of justice, not convenience.

“If we’re going to do anything along those lines, it shouldn’t be because we’re scared, but because, as many of us believe, God requires of us to do justice—and justice demands that we should balance things. That should be our concern.”

While acknowledging that the final decision on political tickets rests with the president and the ruling party, Dogara expressed confidence that a leader who values democracy would listen to calls for fairness.

“Ultimately, whatever decisions the president takes are up to him. But if we have an overwhelming majority of our people making a case that these things should be balanced, I sincerely believe that he will listen,” he said.

The former Speaker also warned against dividing the North along religious lines, noting that such divisions weaken collective progress.

“Anybody who divides the North along religious lines has actually conquered the North,” he stated. “I come from a family where one of my uncles was a Sheikh who died in Saudi Arabia. How do you expect me to discriminate against him just because he was a Muslim? So many families in the North are like that.”

Reflecting on his political journey, Dogara said his own rise to the Speakership was made possible by unity across religious and ethnic divides, a spirit he believed should guide Nigeria’s future.

“I want to see that episode replayed consistently,” he said. “When anything concerns a Muslim, I shouldn’t look at him as a Muslim. I should be able to fight for him because this is a collective progress as northerners and as Nigerians. And when Christians see Muslims defending their rights as if they were their own, that will bring us together and help us achieve unity.”