The Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has warned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) could jeopardise its chances in the 2027 presidential election if it drops Vice President Kashim Shettima from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election ticket.
Musawa made the remarks during an interview on Mic On Show with journalist Seun Okinbaloye, amid speculations that the ruling party may consider altering the Muslim–Muslim ticket it fielded in the 2023 presidential election.
According to the minister, removing Shettima or replacing him with a non-Northern Muslim running mate would create serious political challenges for the APC, particularly in the core northern states.
“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.
She noted that politics in Northern Nigeria is deeply rooted and highly sophisticated, warning that decisions taken without a proper understanding of the region’s political dynamics could backfire.
“The core North states like Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara and Sokoto understand 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.
Musawa dismissed suggestions that the APC could easily reshuffle its presidential ticket without consequences, describing such views as politically naive.
“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 added.
Addressing concerns over emerging opposition alliances ahead of 2027, Musawa said she does not believe the current opposition configuration can unseat President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima.
“We are not taking anybody lightly. But as the opposition is emerging now, I do not see how they can unseat President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima,” she said.
Similarly, an APC chieftain, Professor Haruna Yerima, has cautioned the party against tampering with the Tinubu/Shettima ticket for the 2027 general election.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, Yerima said those advocating a change are the same individuals who opposed the ticket ahead of the 2023 election.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that tampering with the Tinubu/Shettima presidential ticket would not augur well for the APC in the 2027 general election,” the former House of Representatives member said.
He described as “appalling” the renewed push by critics of the ticket, warning that such moves could spell electoral disaster for the ruling party.
“Those who never believed the Tinubu/Shettima ticket would deliver victory in 2023 are now working round the clock to change it. They should be stopped now, or the ruling party will suffer its greatest defeat in 2027,” he said.
Yerima also criticised calls to replace Shettima with a Christian from the North-Central or North-West zones, describing the advocates as short-sighted and politically naive.
According to him, the North-Central zone has been adequately accommodated through key federal appointments, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Minister of Defence, APC National Chairman, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, and the Chief of Army Staff, among others
