Nigeria’s Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would struggle to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Nigeria’s 2027 general election, even if Atiku runs on a joint ticket with Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
Musawa made the remarks in a video clip shared on Instagram from TheMicon Podcast on Saturday, 24 January 2026, where she discussed the likely strength of the ruling party ahead of the next election cycle. She described Atiku, who was Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 to 2007, as a “formidable opponent,” but argued that he would not be strong enough to defeat Tinubu in 2027.
In the conversation, Musawa said she respects Atiku and considers him a patriot, but maintained that he is “not a match” for the ruling party in the next election. She also suggested that even combining Atiku and Obi on one ticket would not change the outcome, saying she did not believe “Atiku and Peter” together would be able to remove the ruling party from power.
Musawa went further to explain why she thinks such an alliance would face problems within the opposition base. She said an Atiku–Obi ticket could anger “Obidients,” the popular name for supporters of Peter Obi, because many of them would not accept Obi being placed in the vice-presidential position. According to her, that scenario would upset a large number of Obi’s supporters who have publicly vowed not to back arrangements that do not place Obi at the top of the ticket.
She added that if the positions were reversed, she believes the opposition would fare even worse. Musawa argued that if Obi becomes the presidential candidate on the ticket, it would be “the fastest way the opposition is going to lose this election,” repeating the point for emphasis and saying she meant it sincerely.
The video clip has generated reactions online as political conversations begin to intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 polls. In the comment section, one user, lanrethorpe, wrote, “She’s correct💯.” Another user, chinelo000, commented, “Give us Obi 👏.”
Other commenters also reacted with a mix of support and criticism. A user identified as 00388phy responded with clapping emojis, while 007recordz_studio wrote, “Lol 😂😂 I don’t blame her, she want to keep her job.” Another commenter, jazz_v_empire, said, “Atiku is a big problem he should step down Peter obi and kwakanso ticket is what we need.”
An additional comment by austinarinze_ suggested the remarks were an attempt to downplay Obi’s influence, saying, “Obi is their greatest threat, hence the reverse psychology. Just give us Obi in ADC.” Another user, jaspa101, added, “Na Obi them dey fear.”
The discussion continues to spread on social media, with the clip being widely shared as Nigerians debate possible opposition alliances and strategies ahead of the 2027 election season.