An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and public affairs analyst, Abimiku Dangana Solomon, has criticised comments attributed to the Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, regarding the choice of a vice-presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement released on Monday, Solomon faulted Musawa’s recent interview on Channels Television, where she was reported to have argued that only a Northern Muslim running mate could guarantee President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election.
Solomon said such a stance “undermines the principles of national unity” and “reinforces harmful stereotypes that reduce Nigeria’s politics to narrow religious and ethnic considerations.”
He also took issue with Musawa’s alleged claim that Northerners possess a unique “sophistication of politics” and hold the “political key to Nigeria,” describing the remarks as “condescending, historically flawed, and statistically inaccurate.”
“More troubling is the suggestion that only a Hausa, Fulani or Kanuri Northern Muslim vice-presidential candidate can secure Tinubu’s victory in 2027,” Solomon said.
According to him, the position diminishes the role of Northern Muslim ethnic minorities and Christian communities, while ignoring the diversity that defines Northern Nigeria and the country as a whole.
He warned that the narrative fuels division and sidelines the aspirations of “millions of non-Hausa, non-Fulani and non-Kanuri progressive Muslims in the North, as well as Christian minorities committed to a united and equitable Nigeria.”
Referencing the 2023 presidential election, Solomon, a member of the North Central Tinubu Action Group (NC-TAG), stressed that Northern voting patterns are not uniform.
“The 2023 election showed that voters across regions prioritise good governance, fairness and quality leadership over ethnic or religious identity,” he said.
He noted that despite fielding a Northern Muslim vice-presidential candidate, Tinubu lost most Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri Muslim-majority states in the North-East and North-West, winning only Zamfara, Jigawa and Borno, while recording victories in non-Hausa, non-Fulani and non-Kanuri states such as Benue, Niger, Kwara and Kogi.
“Katsina State, the minister’s home state, and Kanuri-dominated Yobe State were both won by the opposition PDP,” the statement added.
