Dropping Shettima could hurt 2027 chances, Musawa warns APC

By Kunle Sanni –

Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against altering its current presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 election, warning that removing Vice President Kashim Shettima could weaken the party’s electoral prospects.

Musawa spoke on MIC ON, a podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, amid growing speculation that the ruling party may consider replacing Shettima with a Christian running mate for President Bola Tinubu in a bid to rebalance the ticket.

According to the minister, changing the existing religious and regional configuration could provoke resistance, particularly in Northern Nigeria. She argued that the absence of a northern Muslim on the ticket would pose a serious political challenge for the APC.

She said debates about replacing Shettima show a limited understanding of northern political realities, where identity, religion and regional representation strongly influence voter behaviour.

Musawa described the North as a decisive force in Nigeria’s electoral landscape, noting that political awareness and participation run deep across both urban and rural communities. She added that many northerners see elections as a vital means of asserting influence over national direction.

The minister also played down the strength of the opposition ahead of 2027, saying internal divisions and personal ambitions have weakened their ability to present a unified challenge to the ruling party.

While acknowledging that opposition figures are influential in their own right, Musawa said the lack of cohesion among them makes it unlikely they could unseat the Tinubu–Shettima ticket.

She further questioned the practicality of a potential alliance between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, arguing that competing ambitions and voter expectations would be difficult to reconcile.