The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress will retain the Presidency in the 2027 general election, dismissing claims by opposition leaders Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso that President Bola Tinubu can be defeated.
Musa also predicted victory for the APC across the major elective positions in Kaduna State, including the governorship and presidential election, as political parties intensify their preparations for the 2027 contest.
The minister spoke on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, shortly after Obi and Kwankwaso addressed supporters in Port Harcourt and warned against attempts to manipulate the outcome of the next election.
Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, told supporters that Nigerians would insist on having their votes counted and their choices respected at polling units. He argued that the electorate had become increasingly unwilling to tolerate interference with the electoral process.
Kwankwaso, who is Obi’s running mate, similarly sought to challenge the assumption that control of a large number of states automatically guarantees presidential victory. He cited the 2015 election, when Goodluck Jonathan lost his re-election bid despite the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party controlling a substantial number of states.
The comments form part of the emerging opposition strategy around the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket. The two politicians have previously disclosed that they reached an agreement under which Obi would serve a single four-year term if elected in 2027, with Kwankwaso expected to pursue the presidency thereafter.
Musa, however, rejected suggestions that the APC was losing its grip on the North, describing such claims as largely a matter of perception.
Asked whether voters in Kaduna could punish the ruling party over the performance of the Tinubu administration, the minister dismissed the possibility and gave an unequivocal prediction.
“APC will win in Kaduna. That I know,” Musa said, adding that his prediction covered the presidential, governorship and other levels of the election.
He also rejected the suggestion that widespread dissatisfaction with economic conditions had translated into a decisive anti-APC movement in the region. According to him, some individuals were exploiting public frustration to create the impression that the ruling party had lost its northern support base.
Musa further defended the administration’s economic policies, arguing that President Tinubu had taken difficult decisions whose benefits would become more apparent over time.
The exchange highlights one of the central battles likely to define the 2027 presidential election: control of the northern electorate. Tinubu’s APC is seeking to maintain the coalition that delivered victory in 2023, while the opposition is attempting to consolidate support across regions through the Obi-Kwankwaso partnership.
With the election still months away, both sides are already projecting confidence, but the strength of their respective claims will ultimately be tested at the ballot box.
