Bauchi Mosque Removes Imam Over Alleged Tinubu Re-Election Campaign

The management committee of Masjid Abdullahi Bin Zubbair in Madina Quarters, Bauchi State, has removed its Imam, Dahiru Abubakar, over allegations of using religious sermons to campaign for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

The decision also followed an alleged proposal by the Imam to rename the mosque after Tinubu, a move the committee reportedly rejected.

According to Daily Trust, the committee chairman, Abubakar Jibrin, confirmed the Imam’s removal, saying he had repeatedly been warned against engaging in political activities within the mosque.

Jibrin alleged that Abubakar used sermons delivered after obligatory prayers to defend Tinubu’s administration, including telling worshippers that the President was not responsible for the country’s insecurity and deserved another term in office.

The committee reportedly decided to remove the Imam after he repeated the remarks following the early morning Subhi prayer on Sunday. Jibrin also accused him of gathering people inside and in front of the mosque to discuss political matters.

“We have warned him not once or twice but many times, but he didn’t heed our pleas,” Jibrin said, adding that the committee vehemently opposed the use of the mosque for political meetings.

The committee’s chairman further disclosed that the Imam had proposed changing the mosque’s name from Masjid Abdullahi Bin Zubbair to Masjid Imam Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The proposal was rejected, with the committee insisting that the mosque belonged to the community and should retain its existing name.

The development highlights the dispute over alleged political activities within the mosque, with the management committee maintaining that the religious facility should not be used as a platform for political meetings or campaigning.