Veteran journalist and former presidential aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, has urged President Bola Tinubu to retain Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 general election, insisting that the President must demonstrate courage and consistency by standing by his chosen running mate.
Abati made the call on Tuesday while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he also defended recent comments by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, on the political implications of changing the Vice President.
According to Abati, Musawa’s remarks were neither offensive nor inappropriate, noting that she merely outlined the potential political consequences of such a decision, particularly in the North among Kanuri and Hausa-Fulani voters.
He stressed that Nigeria’s political choices should be determined internally and not influenced by foreign political figures, urging President Tinubu to remain firm in his decisions.
Abati said:
“Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Tourism creative Economy, was very courageous to have stood up to say that, look, if we change the Vice President, you change the equation because of the blackmail from the Christian community, then it will have implications, deeper consequences in the more politically literate north.
“She may have said, if you don’t have a Kanuri, you don’t have Hausa-Fulani or Hausa person in the equation for 2027, then you know the APC will have issues.
“Well, there’s nothing she has said that is offensive, in my view. I said so yesterday. I say so again. She even said the opposition, there is no aggression towards the opposition, because we need the opposition.”
The former presidential aide faulted the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for what he described as a misreading of the issue, adding that the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, should reflect on what he said were repeated attempts to downplay the Tinubu–Shettima Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Abati added:
“I think it’s the APC leadership that is missing the point. And Felix Morka (APC National Publicity Secretary), should be reminded that consistently there has been an attempt to, you know, downplay the Tinubu, Shettima ticket – the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
“And I have called on President Tinubu, he must have the courage to stand by his choice. He stood by that choice in 2023 he should stand by it again in 2027. All this talk about Donald Trump, I repeat again, it’s not Donald Trump that will dictate to Nigeria what the political choices of Nigerians should be.”
Abati’s remarks come amid growing political debate over the composition of the APC ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
