APC Risks Losing Northern Support If Tinubu-Shettima Ticket Is Altered Ahead Of 2027

APC Risks Losing Northern Support If Tinubu-Shettima Ticket Is Altered Ahead of 2027
Headline: Nigeria’s Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has warned that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could significantly weaken its political prospects in the 2027 presidential election if it alters the current Muslim-Muslim ticket by dropping Vice President Kashim Shettima or nominating a non-Northern Muslim running mate with President Bola Tinubu
Musawa spoke on the “Mic On Show” podcast with journalist Seun Okinbaloye amid growing speculation that the APC might reconsider the Muslim-Muslim ticket it used in the 2023 election.

• She cautioned that excluding a Northern Muslim such as Vice President Shettima from the ticket could alienate core northern voters, particularly in states where regional and religious identity strongly influence electoral choices.
• “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, highlighting how entrenched political behaviour and identity are in northern Nigeria
  Musawa explained that politics in the core northern states including Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Zamfara and Sokoto is highly strategic and deeply rooted in local social structures. She stressed that voters in these regions “wait every four years to line up and vote because that is where they feel they have influence,” signalling that religious and regional representation on a ticket can determine turnout and support.
  Musawa described suggestions that the APC could reshuffle its ticket without consequences as politically naive and detached from northern realities. On the broader political opposition, Musawa argued that the current opposition alignment is fragmented and overcrowded, with several leaders vying for power, making it difficult to challenge President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima. She acknowledged that a strong opposition is healthy for democracy, but expressed confidence in the APC’s chances to retain power.