Minister warns APC against altering Muslim Muslim ticket

…Says dropping Shettima risky

Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has said any move to drop Vice-President Kashim Shettima, ahead of the presidential election in 2027, could negatively affect the All Progressives Congress, APC.

In an interview on MIC ON, a podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, Musawa, who spoke against the backdrop of speculations that the ruling party was considering replacing Shettima with a Christian running mate for President Bola Tinubu in 2027, warned that altering the religious and regional balance of the current ticket could pose electoral risks for the APC.

She said the absence of a northern Muslim on the ticket could create significant resistance among voters in the region.

Musawa warned:  “If we toy with changing the construct of what we have now, it is a problem.

If there is no Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri Muslim on that ticket, it creates a hurdle. That’s the reality of the way the people think.”

She said such discussions reflected a poor understanding of northern political dynamics, describing politics in the region as deeply rooted in identity and civic participation.

Musawa said the north played a decisive role in Nigeria’s political calculations, particularly due to what she described as its long-standing political awareness and engagement.

“I come from a very rural area in Katsina State. All my family and all the people that I know that have never been to school, have a radio. They will tell you about the Russian Revolution. BBC Hausa did what it was supposed to do.

“When it comes to politics, the northern area really thrives on it. That is the one thing they feel they really have a lot of control over and power. So when you don’t understand politics in the way that they do, you come at your own peril,’’ the minister said.

Musawa, who noted that politics was viewed in many northern communities as a critical means of influencing national outcomes, said:  “They wait every four years to be able to line up. A man with his four wives and 30 children, everybody is going to line up, because that’s where they know they can have an impact in positioning Nigeria. For them, it is almost like an identity.’’

Opposition too divided to unseat Tinubu

Musawa downplayed the capacity of opposition parties, especially the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to defeat Tinubu and Shettima in 2027, describing the opposition as fragmented and driven by personal ambition.

She said:  “To be fair, I think all of the members of the opposition are formidable people.  But honestly, especially the way the opposition is emerging, I don’t see how the opposition as it is now can unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima.”

The minister described the opposition as overcrowded, arguing that its leading figures were competing for a single position.

“Every single member of that opposition is vying for the same spot and only for that spot. So that in itself creates a little bit of recipe for disaster,” Musawa said.

She said Atiku Abubakar remained a strong force in Nigerian politics but raised doubts about the feasibility of a joint ticket involving Peter Obi and Atiku, adding that it would be difficult to reconcile competing ambitions and voter expectations.

“Of course, Atiku Abubakar is a factor because he is a patriot and a formidable Nigerian.  If you put Mr Peter Obi together with Atiku Abubakar, well, somebody has to be president. So how is that going to be resolved? Is it going to be a combination of the 2019 ticket?

‘’That is VP Atiku with Peter Obi as running mate, in which case I don’t think Obidients are going to be very happy. And if it is the other way, I don’t see Peter Obi having the ability to galvanise the core northern votes in the way he was unable to in the last election,’’ she added.

Musawa also dismissed suggestions that Nasir el-Rufai could significantly erode APC support in the north-west, adding that she didn’t believe he had the capacity to “injure” the president’s vote base in the region.

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