A mosque committee in Bauchi State has removed Imam Dahiru Abubakar after he repeatedly used prayer sessions to campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's re-election in 2027. The committee acted following an early morning sermon on Sunday, October 18, 2026, which marked the final breach after multiple warnings.
Imam's Sermons and the Final Breach
Imam Abubakar, who led prayers at a mosque in the Madina quarters of Bauchi metropolis, had consistently addressed the congregation after obligatory prayers. He reportedly told worshippers that President Tinubu bore no responsibility for the country's hardship or insecurity, arguing that economic difficulties and insecurity were signs of "end times" rather than failures of leadership.
The final breach came after the early morning Subhi prayer on Sunday, October 18, 2026, prompting the committee to act. As reported by Daily Trust, Imam Abubakar defended his conduct, saying his preaching was rooted in the fear of God and the dangers of blaming leaders for problems beyond their control.
"My preaching centred on telling people to embrace fear of God and stop blaming leaders for the insecurity, particularly President Tinubu, because only God's intervention can stop the challenges with the power of prayers, and that didn't go down well with the committee of the mosque," he said.
He added that he drew comparisons with crises in other African countries, asking whether Tinubu could reasonably be held responsible for instability in Sudan, Chad, and Mali.
Mosque Committee's Position
The chairman of the mosque committee, Imam Abubakar Jibrin, confirmed the removal and said the problem went beyond political commentary during sermons. He said the suspended imam had been gathering crowds outside and inside the mosque specifically to discuss politics, despite multiple warnings.
"We vehemently rejected the use of the mosque for political meetings. We have warned him not once or twice but many times, but he didn't heed our pleas," Jibrin said.
Jibrin also revealed that Abubakar had pushed for the mosque to be renamed from Masjid Abdullahi Bin Zubbair to Masjid Imam Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a proposal the entire committee rejected. "All the committee members said 'no' because the mosque belongs to the community," Jibrin said, adding that the name Masjid Abdullahi Bin Zubbair would remain.
The committee chair was firm that the removal was final, saying the imam was free to build or acquire his own mosque if he wished to use it for political purposes. "He should go and build his personal mosque, or politicians should go buy a mosque for him; that is not our business," Jibrin said.
Broader Context and Reactions
He stressed that the committee had no preference among political candidates, saying their only prayer was for God to place the best leader over the country ahead of the 2027 elections. Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the leader of the Qadiriyya Sufi sect in Africa, Sheikh Qaribullah Sheikh Nasiru Kabara, declared his group's support for Tinubu's second-term ambition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a related development, over 1,000 Islamic clerics gathered in Kano State to assess Tinubu's administration ahead of the 2027 general elections. The clerics cited rising hardship, insecurity, and the brain drain of skilled Nigerians as key reasons for their position. A communique issued at the end of the conference warned voters to hold the government accountable at the polls in 2027.
