2027: Southern Kaduna coalition rejects calls for Defence Minister as Tinubu’s running mate

2026-01-26 - 23:46

By Ibrahim Hassan KADUNA— A coalition of socio-cultural and professional groups from Southern Kaduna has firmly distanced the region from calls proposing the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, as a possible running mate to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections. The coalition’s position followed recent remarks by the President of Southern Kaduna United People’s Association (SOKAPU), Engr. Samuel Kato, who commended President Tinubu for what he described as increased attention to Southern Kaduna, particularly the appointment of General Musa as defence minister, and suggested that the region should support him for the vice-presidential slot. Addressing the media in Kaduna yesterday, leaders of the coalition said the statement credited to Mr Tabara was his personal opinion and did not emanate from any collective decision or wide consultations within Southern Kaduna. Those present at the briefing included Dr. Simon Majimre of the Southern Kaduna Community Development Associations; Mr. Edward John Auta, Chairman of Southern Kaduna Patriots for Good Governance; the Acting Chairman of the Southern Kaduna Professionals Forum, SKPF; the National Coordinator of the Forum of SOKAPU Youths, as well as chairmen of several local chapters across the zone. According to the coalition, the call for a vice-presidential consideration is “premature, ill-timed and unrepresentative.” It stressed that the region was still mourning and grappling with the trauma of the recent abduction of over 170 residents of Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area. “The timing of this call is equally troubling. No responsible leadership should be discussing presidential running mates while families and communities are still enduring the anguish of mass abductions,’’ the coalition noted. While acknowledging General Musa as “an astute and credible army general,” the group emphasised that his current priority must remain the discharge of his constitutional responsibility as defence minister, working with the president and vice president to address Nigeria’s security challenges. The coalition also commended Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani, for what it described as his swift intervention, following the Kurmin Wali incident, including the deployment of additional security personnel and the mobilisation of workers and equipment to open access roads for security operations. It noted that the measures helped restore confidence in the area, allowing residents to resume Sunday worship within a week of the attack. Reaffirming its political stance, the coalition declared: “Southern Kaduna remains united in its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and Governor Uba Sani, and rejects the unwarranted statement attributed to Tabara.” The coalition further called on Nigerians to refrain from promoting divisive narratives capable of distracting the defence minister or destabilising the polity, stressing that national unity and an uncompromised focus on security must take precedence over early political permutations. Vanguard News Nigeria