Olushola Omogbehin
The Minister of Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has called on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to be careful over the rumour plan to alter President Bola Tinubu’s presidential in the 2027 general election, warning that any alteration could affect support in key Northern states.
She disclosed this in a recent episode of Mic On Show by journalist Seun Okinbaloye where she spoke on the fast spreading rumour of a possible review of the Muslim–Muslim ticket adopted by the APC in the 2023 polls.
The minister said removing Vice President Kashim Shettima, or replacing him with a another running mate who is not a Northern Muslim could present political difficulties for the ruling party in some key northern state.
“If there is no Hausa, Fulani or Kanuri Muslim on that ticket, it creates a hurdle. That is the reality of the way people think,” she said.
She explained that voters in the region take elections seriously and see participation as a means of asserting influence. States like Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara and Sokoto as areas where political choices are taken seriously because politics in the North is structured by long-established patterns.
“The core North understands politics at a very deep level. Politics there is a way of life. People wait every four years to line up and vote because that is where they feel they have influence.
“I think if we toy with changing the construct of what we have now, it is a problem. People who suggest otherwise may not fully understand how politics works in the North,” Musawa said.
Speaking also on the state of the opposition ahead of 2027, Musawa said the current opposition landscape does not appear strong enough to pose a serious threat to President Tinubu and Vice President Shettim.
“You have an opposition that is overcrowded. Every single member is vying for the same spot, and that alone creates a recipe for political failure. We are not taking anybody lightly. But as the opposition is emerging now, I do not see how they can unseat President Tinubu.” she said.
