2027: Dropping Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate could hurt APC’s electoral prospects — Minister
The minister of art, culture and creative economy, Hannatu Musawa, says any attempt to sideline Vice-President Kashim Shettima ahead of the next presidential election could be damaging to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking during an interview on MIC ON, a podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, Musawa responded to speculations that the ruling party might replace Shettima with a Christian running mate for President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
She cautioned that tampering with the current religious and regional composition of the ticket could expose the APC to serious electoral challenges.
She explained that excluding a northern Muslim from the ticket could trigger strong opposition among voters in the region.
“If we toy with changing the construct of what we have now, it is a problem,” the minister warned.
“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.”
Musawa said such conversations show a lack of understanding of northern political realities, noting that politics in the region is closely tied to identity and civic involvement.
She added that the north plays a crucial role in Nigeria’s political arithmetic, citing what she described as its long history of political consciousness and participation.
“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,” she said.
“When it comes to politics, the northern area really thrives on politics. That is the one thing that 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.”
She further noted that many northern communities regard politics as a vital tool for shaping national direction.
“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 that they can have an impact in positioning Nigeria. For them, it is almost like an identity,” she said.
Opposition Too Divided to Unseat Tinubu
Musawa also played down the chances of opposition parties, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC), defeating Tinubu and Shettima in 2027, describing the opposition as fragmented and driven by personal ambitions.
“To be fair, I think all of the members of the opposition are formidable people,” she said.
“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.”
She described the opposition camp as overcrowded, arguing that its key figures are all competing for the same position.
“Every single member of that opposition is vying for the same spot and only for that spot. So that in and of itself creates a little bit of recipe for disaster,” Musawa said.
While acknowledging Atiku Abubakar’s influence, Musawa questioned the practicality of a joint ticket involving Peter Obi and Atiku, citing conflicting ambitions and voter expectations.
“Of course, Atiku Abubakar is a factor because he is a patriot and a formidable Nigerian,” she said.
“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 that he was unable to in the last election.”
She also dismissed claims that Nasir el-Rufai could significantly weaken APC support in the north-west, saying she does not believe he has the capacity to “injure” the president’s vote base in the region.