Former Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami, has denied claims that he described politics as haram (forbidden in Islam).

Pantami made the clarification on Friday during an interview with BBC Hausa, stressing that his participation in politics is aimed at promoting good governance for his constituents and Nigeria as a whole.

“I never said politics is haram,” Pantami emphasized. “I have been a registered member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) since 2019. It is stipulated in the Nigerian Constitution that one cannot serve as a minister without being affiliated with a political party.”

The former minister, who served under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, also urged Northern elites to focus on strategic investments in the media industry rather than exclusively funding religious institutions. He warned that years of underinvestment in media have resulted in what he described as a “dangerous communication deficit.”

Pantami’s comments come amid ongoing debates over the role of political engagement and investment in national development, particularly in the North.