‘Trump Will Not Dictate The Political Choices Of Nigerians’ – Abati Urges Tinubu To Retain Shettima

Former presidential aide, Reuben Abati, has stated that United States President, Donald Trump, will not dictate to Nigerians what their political choices should be.

Naijaonpoint reports that Abati, while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, said the recent comments by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, on the political implications of changing the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, were neither offensive nor inappropriate.

The veteran journalist stated that Musawa was right to point out that altering the ticket could affect political calculations in the North, particularly among Kanuri and Hausa-Fulani voters.

Abati urged President Bola Tinubu to stand by his 2023 choice of running mate, retain Shettima ahead of the 2027 general election, and not be influenced by any foreign political figure.

He 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.

“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.”