The Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, has emphasized the importance of maintaining political power in Southern Nigeria for at least the next four to six years to ensure balance and inclusivity in governance.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, Musawa said that Nigeria’s political reality still requires zoning due to lingering ethnic divisions.
“I think zoning is important only because we have not been able to get over the doldrums of ethnicity and we’re not looking at ourselves as Nigerian,” she said.
Reflecting on the political dynamics following the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, Musawa argued that it was only just that leadership shifted away from the North.
“So it is understandable that after eight years of President Buhari, who was from the North, power needed to shift down to the South.”
She further noted that while she looks forward to a time when merit alone determines political leadership, the country isn’t there yet.
“Hopefully one day we’ll be able to get over that and candidates will only be judged on their capacity and what they have to bring to the table. But since we are not there yet for the benefit of this politics now, power should certainly for the next four, six years remain in the Southern part of the country.”
Musawa also mentioned a personal project aimed at national unity, a poem she authored titled “I Am a Nigerian”.
According to her, the poem will soon be re-aired on national platforms as part of ongoing efforts to promote a sense of shared identity.
