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, on the choice of a vice-presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Monday, Solomon expressed concern over Musawa’s recent interview on Channels Television, where she reportedly suggested that only a Northern Muslim vice-presidential candidate could guarantee President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election.
Solomon described the position as divisive, arguing that it undermines national unity and reduces Nigeria’s complex political landscape to narrow religious and ethnic considerations.
He also faulted Musawa’s alleged claim that Northerners possess a unique “sophistication of politics” and hold the “political key to Nigeria,” describing the assertion as condescending and historically inaccurate.
“More troubling is the suggestion that only a Hausa, Fulani, or Kanuri Northern Muslim vice-presidential candidate can secure Tinubu’s re-election in 2027,” Solomon said, adding that such a view ignores the diversity of Northern Nigeria.
According to him, the narrative marginalises Northern Muslim minorities and Christian communities, while suppressing the aspirations of millions who believe in a more inclusive and equitable Nigeria.
Solomon, who is a member of the North Central Tinubu Action Group (NC-TAG), cited the 2023 presidential election to argue that voting patterns in the North are not monolithic.
He noted that President Tinubu lost several 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, despite the APC fielding a Northern Muslim vice-presidential candidate,” the statement added.
