Abuja, Nigeria – Former Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami, has refuted claims that he once declared politics to be evil or forbidden (haram).
Speaking during an interview with BBC Hausa, Pantami said the allegation is false and misrepresents his position. He explained that his involvement in politics is driven by a desire to contribute positively to governance in Nigeria.
“I never said politics is haram,” he stated, adding that he has been a registered member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) since 2019. He noted that the Nigerian Constitution requires anyone appointed as a minister to belong to a political party.
Pantami served as Minister of Communications under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a separate recent interview, the ex-minister also urged Northern elites to prioritise strategic investments in the media industry rather than focusing solely on building mosques. He warned that years of underinvestment in media have created what he described as a “dangerous communication deficit” in the region.
