Minister Of Art Hannatu Musawa Warns APC Against Changing Muslim-Muslim Ticket

Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has warned that any move to drop Vice-President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 presidential election could negatively affect the fortunes of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Musawa made the remarks in an interview on MIC ON, a podcast hosted by journalist, Seun Okinbaloye, amid speculations that the ruling party was considering replacing Shettima with a Christian running mate for President Bola Tinubu in 2027. She cautioned that altering the religious and regional balance of the current ticket could pose serious electoral risks for the APC.
According to her, the absence of a northern Muslim on the presidential ticket could trigger resistance among voters in the region.
“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,” Musawa said.
She argued that such debates reflected a misunderstanding of northern political dynamics, describing politics in the region as deeply rooted in identity and civic engagement. Musawa said the north plays a decisive role in Nigeria’s political calculations due to what she described as its long-standing political awareness 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 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,” Musawa added.
She further explained that in many northern communities, politics is viewed as a key avenue for influencing national outcomes. “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,” she said.