A mosque committee in Bauchi metropolis has removed an imam, Dahiru Abubakar, over allegations that he repeatedly used religious activities to campaign for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Abubakar was reportedly removed from his position at a mosque in Madina Quarters after allegedly using sermons delivered following obligatory prayers to defend Tinubu’s administration and urge worshippers to support his bid for a second term.
The decision followed complaints that the imam continued the practice despite previous warnings from the mosque committee.
His latest alleged act reportedly occurred after the early morning Subhi prayer on Sunday.
A source familiar with the development said Abubakar had repeatedly told worshippers that Tinubu was not responsible for the country’s insecurity and deserved another term in office.
The source added that a committee was constituted after the imam allegedly repeated the conduct the previous weekend, leading to his removal.
Speaking on the development, Abubakar confirmed that he had been urging worshippers not to blame Tinubu for Nigeria’s security and economic challenges, which he described as an “end times phenomenon”.
He said his sermons focused on encouraging people to fear God, pray for the country and refrain from blaming political leaders for insecurity.
“I have been preaching to the people to stop castigating President Tinubu for the insecurity and economic challenges. They prepared to vote for him and give him another mandate in 2027 to continue his mandate,” he said.
Abubakar explained that he had cited security crises in other African countries, including Sudan, Chad and Mali, to argue that Nigeria’s challenges were not unique to the Tinubu administration.
He maintained that his message emphasised faith and divine intervention, but acknowledged that the approach had displeased the mosque committee.
Confirming the imam’s removal, the chairman of the mosque committee, Imam Abubakar Jibrin, said the decision was prompted by repeated attempts to introduce partisan politics into the mosque’s activities.
Jibrin explained that the committee’s concerns extended beyond Abubakar’s support for Tinubu to his alleged gathering of people outside the mosque and using the premises to discuss political matters.
“Our major challenge with him was not only his campaign for Tinubu but the way and manner he gathered many people in front of the mosque and sometimes entered the mosque purposely to discuss politics,” he said.
According to the committee chairman, Abubakar had been cautioned several times against turning the place of worship into a platform for political mobilisation.
He said the committee believed that the mosque should be dedicated to the worship of Allah and that political activities should instead take place at the offices of the relevant political parties.
Jibrin stated that the committee had repeatedly warned the imam, but he allegedly failed to heed its advice.
The chairman also disclosed that Abubakar had proposed renaming the mosque from Abdullahi Bin Zubbair Mosque to Masjid Imam Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mosque.
The proposal was rejected by the committee, which insisted that the mosque belonged to the community and should not be named after a political figure.
“All the committee members said ‘no’ because the mosque belongs to the community,” Jibrin said, adding that the mosque would retain its existing name, Masjid Abdullahi Bin Zubbair.
He further maintained that Abubakar would not be reinstated, suggesting that he could establish his own mosque if he wished to pursue his preferred approach.
Jibrin, however, stressed that the committee was not opposed to any presidential candidate or political party.
He said the committee’s position was that the mosque should remain free from partisan political activities, adding that its members would pray for Allah to choose the best leader for Nigeria, regardless of party affiliation.
