An imam at a mosque in the Madina quarters of Bauchi metropolis, Imam Dahiru Abubakar, has been removed from his position following repeated attempts to campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election during religious sermons.
Abubakar was reportedly using his post-prayer preaching sessions to defend the president against criticism over Nigeria’s insecurity and economic hardship, urging worshippers to support Tinubu for a second term in 2027.
His removal followed another incident after the early morning Subhi prayer on Sunday, despite previous warnings from the mosque committee.
A source familiar with the development said the imam had repeatedly told congregants that Tinubu was not responsible for the country’s security challenges and deserved another term in office.
According to the source, the committee had constituted a panel to address the matter after a similar incident the previous weekend, eventually leading to his removal.
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Speaking on the development, Abubakar confirmed that his sermons had focused on discouraging worshippers from blaming Tinubu for the country’s security and economic problems.
He argued that the challenges facing Nigeria were part of an “end times phenomenon” and maintained that divine intervention and prayers were necessary to overcome them.
“I have been preaching to the people to stop castigating President Tinubu for the insecurity and economic challenges. They should be prepared to vote for him and give him another mandate in 2027 to continue his mandate,” he said.
The former imam explained that his messages centred on the fear of God, daily conduct and the need for Nigerians to seek divine intervention rather than place the blame for insecurity solely on political leaders.
He also cited crises in African countries, including Sudan, Chad and Mali, questioning whether Tinubu was responsible for the insecurity experienced in those nations.
However, the mosque committee said its decision was not based solely on the imam’s support for the president but also on his alleged attempts to turn the mosque into a venue for political discussions and gatherings.
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The committee’s chairman, Imam Abubakar Jibrin, said Abubakar had repeatedly been cautioned against engaging in political activities within the mosque and gathering people in front of the premises to discuss politics.
Jibrin explained that the committee had warned the imam several times, stressing that the mosque was meant for the worship of Allah and should not be converted into a political platform.
“Even though we believe that politics is the process of producing leaders in the country, there are laid-down procedures, which are political parties, and the activities should take place in their political party offices and not in the mosque,” he said.
The committee chairman further disclosed that Abubakar had insisted on changing the mosque’s name from Masjid Abdullahi Bin Zubbair to Masjid Imam Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a proposal that was rejected by members of the committee.
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According to Jibrin, the committee maintained that the mosque belonged to the community and that its name would remain unchanged despite the imam’s insistence.
He said the committee had resolved to remove Abubakar permanently and would not consider reinstating him.
“He should go and build his personal mosque, or politicians should go buy a mosque for him; that is not our business,” Jibrin said.
The chairman, however, clarified that the committee was not opposed to Tinubu or any other presidential candidate, insisting that its position was to keep the mosque free from partisan political activities.
“Our prayer is to Allah to choose the best for the country, be it President Tinubu or any candidate among the presidential candidates that would become a blessing to the country,” he added.