2027: Dropping Northern Muslim from Presidential Ticket Could Hurt APC — Tinubu Minister

2027: Dropping Northern Muslim from Presidential Ticket Could Hurt APC — Tinubu Minister
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‎“I think if we toy with changing the construct of what we have now, it is a problem.”
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‎The Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has warned that the All Progressives Congress risks undermining its chances in the 2027 general election if it drops a Northern Muslim from President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ticket.
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‎Musawa made the remarks during a recent episode of Mic On Show with journalist Seun Okinbaloye, amid growing speculation that the ruling party may consider altering the Muslim-Muslim ticket adopted in the 2023 presidential election.
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‎According to the minister, removing Shettima or replacing him with a non-Northern Muslim running mate would pose a serious political challenge for the APC, particularly in the core northern states.
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‎“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,” Musawa said.
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‎She stressed that politics in Northern Nigeria is deeply rooted and highly sophisticated, warning that decisions taken without proper understanding of the region could backfire.
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‎“The core North, states like Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara and Sokoto, 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,” she said.
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‎Musawa dismissed claims that the APC could easily reshuffle its presidential ticket without consequences, describing such assumptions as politically naive.
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‎“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,” she said.
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