A mosque committee in Bauchi has removed Imam Dahiru Abubakar from his position after accusing him of repeatedly using the mosque to promote President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general election.
Abubakar, who served at a mosque in Madina Quarters, Bauchi metropolis, reportedly urged worshippers during sermons after obligatory prayers to support Tinubu, arguing that the president was not responsible for Nigeria’s insecurity and deserved another term.
He was suspended after repeating the practice following the Subhi prayer on Sunday.
A source said, “He would tell the congregation after prayer that Tinubu did not cause insecurity and he deserved to be reelected.”
The imam admitted discussing the president during his sermons, describing the country’s hardship and insecurity as an “end times phenomenon.”
He said, “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.”
“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.
Jibrin explained that the committee repeatedly warned Abubakar against turning the mosque into a political gathering place, insisting that political activities should be conducted at party offices.
The chairman also accused the imam of pushing to rename the mosque from Masjid Abdullahi Bin Zubbair to Masjid Imam Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to Jibrin, the committee rejected the proposal, maintaining that the mosque belonged to the community and would retain its original name.
He confirmed that Abubakar had been removed and would not be reinstated.
“He should go and build his personal mosque, or politicians should go buy a mosque for him; that is not our business,” Jibrin said.