2027: Political Analyst Warns Against Playing Religious Card for Political Gain

A public commentator and political analyst, Ali Ibrahim Dutse, has warned that playing the religious card for political gain could set Nigeria on fire ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Dutse gave the warning in a public comment posted on his verified social media handle, while reacting to the controversy surrounding comments attributed to the Minister of Defence, retired Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa, and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

He cautioned political leaders, public officials and citizens against using religious and ethnic sentiments to deepen divisions in the country.

The analyst said he had carefully followed exchanges between supporters and defenders of El-Rufai over the comments attributed to Musa, noting that the debate had generated strong reactions from supporters of both men.

Dutse also reacted to a statement credited to former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, in which Lawal reportedly compared El-Rufai’s handling of Southern Kaduna during his tenure as governor to Adolf Hitler’s treatment of Jews.

He described the comparison as an extremely serious allegation coming from an elder statesman.

According to him, the greatest disservice to Nigerians is the attempt to reduce the complex history of insecurity in Kaduna State to a single narrative that portrays only one group as victims while ignoring the suffering of many others.

Dutse said history could not be rewritten through propaganda or selective accounts.

He urged Lawal, as a former SGF and elder statesman, to promote peace, unity and national cohesion rather than make statements capable of deepening existing divisions.

The political analyst said Musa was a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and served all Nigerians, regardless of religion or ethnicity.

“Any disagreement between him and Nasir El-Rufai should be treated as a political matter rather than an ethnic or religious conflict,” he said.

Dutse cautioned against using the disagreement to attack entire communities or frame it in religious terms, saying such rhetoric threatened the long-standing unity and peaceful coexistence built by Northern Nigerians over the years.

He urged Nigerians to assess the issues surrounding Musa and El-Rufai on their merits, rather than turning them into another opportunity to divide Northern Nigeria along ethnic or religious lines.

The analyst said individuals should be judged by their words, actions and public records, rather than their ethnicity or religion.

He described comparisons involving Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust as unnecessarily inflammatory, saying such language deepened old wounds and made reconciliation more difficult.

Dutse said Musa deserved to have his record assessed fairly, having served Nigeria at the highest levels of the Armed Forces.

He added that El-Rufai should also be held accountable for his record in public office where legitimate questions arose.

“Neither man should be defended nor condemned solely because of ethnicity, religion or regional identity,” he said.

The public commentator identified banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, poverty, unemployment, millions of out-of-school children and weakening social cohesion as major challenges confronting Northern Nigeria.

He said the challenges affected Hausa, Fulani, Bajju, Atyap, Tiv, Eggon, Alago and other communities, as well as Muslims and Christians.

Dutse called for leadership that would build bridges rather than reopen old divisions.

“We can defend General Christopher Musa without condemning an entire community. We can criticise Nasir El-Rufai without attacking an entire ethnic or religious group.

“We can acknowledge the suffering experienced in Southern Kaduna while also recognising the suffering endured by people in many other parts of Northern Nigeria,” he said.

He stressed that justice must never be selective and that reconciliation must include everyone.

The political analyst urged leaders and citizens to speak across their differences and place national unity above personal or partisan interests.

“Our diversity should remain our greatest strength — not a weapon used against one another,” he said.

Dutse warned that playing the religious card for political gain was dangerous and could set Nigeria on fire.

He urged all political leaders, public officials and citizens to choose their words carefully and prioritise national unity as the 2027 General Election approached.