By Emmanuel Kwada
In a strongly worded statement, Dr. Umar D. Duhu, a prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart and ardent supporter of Vice President Kashim Shettima, has vehemently dismissed circulating rumors suggesting President Bola Tinubu plans to replace Shettima with Minister of Defense General Christopher Musa as his running mate for the 2027 elections.
Labeling the speculations as “baseless” and driven by “petty politics,” Dr. Duhu urged Nigerians to reject divisive narratives and focus on national progress.
Titled “A Call To Reason: Quashing Baseless Speculations And Divisive Narratives,” Dr. Duhu’s statement, released today, described the rumors as a “palpable example of how misinformation and petty politics can hijack national discourse, precipitating unwarranted instability and undermining the democratic process.”
As a legal scholar holding LLM and PhD degrees, Dr. Duhu emphasized his role as a concerned citizen in refuting what he called unpatriotic tendencies.
”President Tinubu, a seasoned politician and master strategist, is acutely aware of the value of stability and continuity,” Dr. Duhu stated.
”It is patently absurd to suggest that he would deliberately sabotage his own administration by making a calamitous mistake of replacing his Vice President, a fellow APC stalwart and respected leader from the North-East, with anyone, let alone a relative novice in politics.”
Gen. Musa is not a seasoned politician accustomed to the intricacies of Nigerian politics
The rumors, which have gained traction on social media and political circles, allege that Tinubu is considering General Musa—a retired military leader and current defense minister to appeal to certain demographics ahead of the 2027 polls.
Dr. Duhu countered this by highlighting Musa’s lack of political experience, noting that while the general has provided “distinguished service” in the military, politics demands “years of tutelage and apprenticeship.”
He added, “Gen. Musa is not a seasoned politician accustomed to the intricacies of Nigerian politics… He is not a natural fit to carry the entire political class in the North, as it is a different ball game altogether.”
Dr. Duhu also addressed broader claims embedded in the rumors, including assertions that Nigerian Christians have been shortchanged under the Tinubu administration.
He dismissed these as a “gross distortion of facts, bereft of empirical evidence,” arguing that leadership should be based on “competence, vision, and what the leader has to offer, not a crude exercise in religious or ethnic arithmetic.” He praised the Muslim community’s “dignified silence” as a recognition that “power is a sacred trust from God.”
In a call to action, Dr. Duhu warned those spreading the rumors: “To those fueling these speculations, I say enough is enough! Let the sleeping dog lie.
When it wakes up, hardly anyone will be able to control it.”
He stressed the need to prioritize pressing national issues like economic recovery and security over “baseless speculations,” and vowed that perpetrators “will be held accountable for their actions.”
The statement comes amid growing political chatter as Nigeria approaches the halfway mark of Tinubu’s first term, with early jockeying for positions in the 2027 elections already underway.
Dr. Duhu’s intervention underscores ongoing tensions within Nigeria’s political landscape, where ethnic, religious, and regional balances often influence electoral strategies. As calls for unity intensify, observers will watch whether these speculations subside or escalate in the lead-up to the polls.
Read Also: Tinubu May Dump Shettima for Christian Christopher Musa as 2027 Running Mate – APC Chieftain
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