*GENERAL MUSA’S “CRIME”: SAYING TINUBU WILL WIN IN 2027
By all indications, the real “crime” of Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd.), is not incompetence. It is not corruption. It is not failure in service. It is not misconduct in the military profession.
His “crime,” it appears, is simply that he expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election.
That is what has suddenly turned General Musa into a target.
Let us be honest with ourselves.
For those desperately trying to manufacture controversy around General Musa, there is one fundamental problem: they cannot destroy his professional record.
They cannot erase his years of service to Nigeria.
They cannot question the fact that he rose through the ranks of the Nigerian Army through years of discipline, sacrifice and professional commitment.
They cannot deny his service in some of the most difficult theatres of insecurity in Nigeria.
They cannot rewrite his record of national service.
And because they cannot successfully attack his professional career, they have chosen another route: politics, propaganda, religious manipulation and manufactured outrage.
But Nigerians can see through it.
THE REAL ISSUE IS TINUBU AND 2027
Let nobody deceive us.
The sudden attacks on General Musa are not primarily about religion.
They are not primarily about Southern Kaduna.
They are not primarily about professional conduct.
The real issue is politics.
The real issue is 2027.
General Musa made a political assessment and expressed his confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would win the 2027 presidential election.
Some people do not like that.
That is their problem.
Nigeria is a democracy.
Every Nigerian is entitled to an opinion. Every Nigerian is entitled to support a political leader. Every Nigerian is entitled to make a political prediction.
If another person says President Tinubu will lose in 2027, that is his opinion.
If another person says an opposition candidate will win, that is his opinion.
So why should General Musa become a national enemy simply because he believes President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win?
Is supporting the President now a crime?
Is expressing confidence in the President’s electoral chances now an offence?
Or is it because those attacking General Musa are afraid of the political reality that President Tinubu remains a formidable force in Nigerian politics?
The truth is simple: General Musa’s position on President Tinubu has become inconvenient to those who are already preparing their political battles for 2027.
And because they cannot intimidate the President, they have chosen to attack those who openly identify with him.
YOU CANNOT TOUCH HIS PROFESSIONAL RECORD
Let us make this absolutely clear:
Nobody can rewrite General Christopher Musa’s professional history.
Nobody can erase the years he spent serving Nigeria.
Nobody can erase the sacrifices he made while wearing the uniform of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Nobody can erase the positions he held.
Nobody can erase the responsibilities entrusted to him.
Nobody can erase the lives and communities affected by the operations and institutions in which he served.
Professional records are built over decades.
Reputations earned through service cannot simply be destroyed because some political actors are unhappy with a statement made about an election that is still ahead.
General Musa did not become who he is overnight.
His professional journey was not built on social media.
It was not built on propaganda.
It was not built on political insults.
It was built through years of service, discipline and commitment to the Nigerian state.
That record belongs to history.
And history cannot be rewritten simply because somebody is uncomfortable with General Musa’s political position.
A SOLDIER WHO SERVED ALL NIGERIANS
Perhaps those trying to paint General Musa with religious colours have forgotten something very important.
A soldier serves the nation.
A professional military officer does not defend only one religion.
He does not defend only one ethnic group.
He does not defend only one region.
He defends Nigeria.
General Musa’s professional service took him across different parts of this country, including areas predominantly inhabited by Muslims and areas inhabited by Christians.
His career was defined by national service.
The Nigerian soldier does not ask a victim of terrorism whether he is a Christian before offering protection.
The Nigerian soldier does not ask a kidnapped victim whether she is a Muslim before attempting a rescue.
Terrorism does not discriminate.
Banditry does not discriminate.
Kidnapping does not discriminate.
Violence does not discriminate.
Therefore, those who are desperately attempting to introduce religion into every discussion concerning General Musa must ask themselves one question:
What exactly are they trying to achieve?
Nigeria is already dealing with enough challenges.
We should not manufacture another crisis simply because some people are unhappy that General Musa expressed support for President Tinubu.
DISAGREEMENT IS NOT A LICENSE FOR CHARACTER ASSASSINATION
Nigeria must learn the difference between disagreement and destruction.
You may disagree with General Musa.
You may disagree with President Tinubu.
You may support another presidential candidate.
You may belong to another political party.
That is democracy.
But disagreement does not give anyone the right to engage in character assassination.
Political differences do not justify the deliberate destruction of reputations.
And electoral ambitions do not justify the weaponization of religion.
If General Musa says Tinubu will win in 2027 and you disagree, say so.
Present your arguments.
Support your own candidate.
Mobilize for your political party.
Go to the people.
Win their confidence.
That is democracy.
But do not manufacture religious controversies.
Do not deliberately twist statements.
Do not sponsor outrage.
Do not attempt to destroy a man’s lifetime professional reputation because you are uncomfortable with his political opinion.
That is not democracy.
That is desperation.
GENERAL MUSA HAS A RIGHT TO HIS POLITICAL OPINION
One of the greatest dangers facing Nigeria today is the attempt by some individuals to decide who is allowed to have an opinion and who is not.
General Musa is a Nigerian.
He has served Nigeria.
He has made sacrifices for Nigeria.
He has every right, within the law, to express his political opinion.
Supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not erase his professional accomplishments.
Supporting the Renewed Hope Agenda does not suddenly make him less of a professional.
Expressing confidence in President Tinubu does not erase decades of national service.
And believing that Tinubu will win in 2027 does not invalidate General Musa’s contributions to Nigeria.
The truth is that some people simply cannot accept the fact that a respected national figure may have confidence in President Tinubu.
But General Musa should not be intimidated.
Neither should anyone else.
Nigeria belongs to all of us.
Nobody has a monopoly over political opinions.
THE ATTACK IS A POLITICAL PROJECT
We must also recognise the pattern.
When a respected individual supports President Tinubu, certain political forces immediately begin searching for weaknesses.
They search through old statements.
They manufacture controversies.
They mobilise social media attacks.
They recruit commentators.
They attempt to create ethnic tension.
They attempt to create religious tension.
The objective is simple: silence those who openly support President Tinubu and intimidate others from doing the same.
But it will not work.
Nigerians are wiser today.
They understand political propaganda.
They know the difference between genuine criticism and a coordinated campaign of character assassination.
General Musa is entitled to support President Tinubu.
Others are equally entitled to support whoever they choose.
That is the beauty of democracy.
SUPPORTING TINUBU IS NOT A CRIME
Let us say it clearly:
Supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a crime.
Believing that President Tinubu will win in 2027 is not a crime.
Working for the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a crime.
Defending one’s political opinion is not a crime.
General Musa should not be treated as though he has committed an offence simply because he expressed confidence in the President.
President Tinubu was elected by Nigerians.
He is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He has the constitutional right to seek re-election, subject to the provisions of the Constitution.
Other Nigerians equally have the right to support him.
That is democracy.
Those who want to defeat President Tinubu in 2027 should go and organise.
They should build their political structures.
They should present their programmes.
They should convince Nigerians.
They should win votes.
But they should not believe that attacking General Musa will automatically weaken President Tinubu.
It will not.
HIS PROFESSIONAL CAREER SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
The greatest frustration of those attacking General Musa is that they are dealing with a man whose professional journey is already part of Nigeria’s national history.
You may disagree with his politics.
You may disagree with his opinions.
You may disagree with his predictions.
But you cannot erase his professional career.
You cannot destroy the years.
You cannot destroy the service.
You cannot destroy the sacrifices.
You cannot destroy the experience.
You cannot destroy the record simply by creating noise on social media.
The louder the propaganda becomes, the more Nigerians should ask:
What exactly is General Musa’s offence?
Was he accused of abandoning Nigeria?
No.
Was he accused of failing to serve Nigeria?
No.
Was he accused of betraying the country?
No.
So what is the real problem?
His “crime” is that he said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win in 2027.
That is the real issue.
And Nigerians should not allow political desperation to be disguised as religious concern.
WE WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED
Those of us who believe in General Musa’s record of national service will not be intimidated.
Those of us who believe in the unity of Nigeria will not be intimidated.
Those of us who support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not be intimidated.
We will not surrender our right to political association.
We will not apologise for supporting the President.
We will not allow religion to be weaponised against people simply because of politics.
And we will not stand by while political actors attempt to destroy the reputation of a man because they disagree with his political position.
General Christopher Gwabin Musa has earned his place in Nigeria’s national conversation through years of service.
His professional career cannot be cancelled by propaganda.
His record cannot be erased by social media campaigns.
His reputation cannot be destroyed simply because he believes President Tinubu will win in 2027.
Let those who disagree with him go to the people and make their own case.
Let Nigerians decide.
That is democracy.
But one thing must remain clear:
General Musa’s professional career is not available for political destruction.
You may disagree with him.
You may criticise him.
You may challenge his political position.
But you cannot rewrite his history.
You cannot erase his service.
And you cannot destroy his professional legacy simply because of one thing:
He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win in 2027.
And for those who are uncomfortable with that prediction, the answer is not propaganda.
The answer is democracy.
Go to the people.
Present your candidate.
Present your ideas.
Contest the election.
And let Nigerians decide.
Until then, General Christopher Gwabin Musa remains a proud Nigerian, a distinguished military professional and a man with the constitutional right to hold and express his political opinion.
His crime is clear: He believes in Tinubu’s victory in 2027.
And nobody can erase the professional career he built in service to Nigeria.
Abraham Adeyemi is the Online Editor of Privilege Magazine.
Email: privilegemagazine2@gmail.com
