Bauchi Mosque Removes Imam After Tinubu Campaign, Rejects Proposal to Rename Mosque

A mosque committee in Bauchi metropolis has removed Imam Dahiru Abubakar after he repeatedly urged worshippers to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, triggering a dispute over the use of religious institutions for partisan political activities.

Abubakar served as the imam of Masjid Abdullahi Bin Zubbair in Madina Quarters, Bauchi, where he reportedly used sermons delivered after obligatory prayers to defend Tinubu’s administration against criticism over insecurity and economic hardship.

The cleric argued that the country’s challenges should not be blamed entirely on the President, describing insecurity and economic difficulties as problems requiring divine intervention, prayer and greater fear of God.

He also urged worshippers to give Tinubu another opportunity in the 2027 presidential election, maintaining that the country’s problems could not be resolved simply by blaming political leaders.

The disagreement reportedly intensified after Abubakar repeated his political messages following the early morning Subhi prayer on Sunday, October 18, 2026, despite previous warnings from the mosque committee.

Abubakar defended his position, saying his preaching was intended to encourage Nigerians to pray for the country rather than continually blame leaders for its difficulties.

“My preaching centred on telling people to embrace fear of God and stop blaming leaders for the insecurity,” he said, according to reports.

He cited security challenges in other African countries, including Sudan, Chad and Mali, questioning whether Tinubu could be held responsible for crises in those nations.

The imam maintained that he had encouraged worshippers to stop criticising Tinubu over insecurity and economic hardship and to support his administration for another term.

However, the mosque committee said the decision to remove him was not based solely on his political views but also on his alleged attempts to turn the mosque into a venue for political gatherings.

The committee’s chairman, Imam Abubakar Jibrin, confirmed the removal, explaining that the management had cautioned Abubakar several times against bringing partisan political activities into the mosque.

 

Jibrin alleged that the imam had been gathering people inside and outside the mosque to discuss politics despite repeated warnings. He said the committee considered the practice inappropriate for a place primarily dedicated to worship.

“We vehemently rejected the use of the mosque for political meetings,” Jibrin said, adding that the committee had repeatedly appealed to the imam to stop the practice.

According to the chairman, the committee’s position was that political meetings and campaign activities should take place at designated political venues rather than within mosque premises.

Jibrin also disclosed that the committee had convened discussions to address the matter before deciding to remove Abubakar. He indicated that the decision was final and that the former imam would not be reinstated.

Another major point of disagreement was the reported proposal to rename the mosque after Tinubu.

Jibrin said Abubakar had pushed for the mosque’s name to be changed from Masjid Abdullahi Bin Zubbair to Masjid Imam Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The committee unanimously rejected the proposal, insisting that the mosque belonged to the community and that its name should remain unchanged.

The chairman maintained that the committee was not campaigning for or against any presidential candidate but was determined to prevent the mosque from becoming a platform for partisan political mobilisation.

He suggested that anyone wishing to use a mosque exclusively for political activities should establish or acquire a separate facility rather than impose such an agenda on a community-owned place of worship.

The development has drawn attention to the debate over the role of religious leaders in Nigeria’s political process as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.

While religious leaders have the right to discuss governance and national challenges, the Bauchi incident highlights the tensions that can arise when sermons are perceived as direct endorsements of a political candidate.

Tinubu’s re-election ambition has generated differing reactions among religious leaders and political groups, with supporters defending his administration and critics pointing to insecurity, economic hardship and the rising cost of living.

The Bauchi mosque committee’s decision reflects its stated position that the mosque should remain focused on worship rather than serve as a venue for political meetings or campaign activities.

For Abubakar, however, his defence of Tinubu was rooted in his belief that prayer and faith were essential to addressing Nigeria’s challenges and that the President should not be blamed for every difficulty confronting the country.

The dispute leaves the mosque’s management and the former imam with sharply different views about the boundaries between religious preaching, political expression and the administration of community-owned places of worship.

 

Bauchi Mosque Removes Imam After Tinubu Campaign, Rejects Proposal to Rename Mosque