Bauchi Cleric Apologizes To Nigerians After Campaigning For Tinubu

A Bauchi-based Islamic cleric, Dahiru Abubakar, popularly known as Malam Danmalam, has apologised to Nigerians over the controversy that followed his reported endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 election.

Abubakar said he never intended to mislead the public or create the impression that he was leading a large Friday mosque when he made the statement supporting Tinubu.

Naija News reports that the cleric made the clarification after appearing before the Bauchi State Sharia Commission, which summoned him following reports that he had been removed from his position as chief imam of a mosque in Madina Quarters.

The controversy started about two weeks ago after reports emerged that Abubakar had lost his position for publicly campaigning for Tinubu’s re-election.

His reported removal sparked reactions, with some people questioning his actions and others raising concerns about the religious position he claimed to hold.

During his appearance before the commission, led by the Hisbah Commander, Malam Muhammad Muhammad Bununu, Abubakar accused media organisations of misrepresenting his comments and exaggerating the size of his congregation.

He explained that the mosque in question was a small prayer centre and not a Friday mosque, as some reports allegedly suggested.

“I made the statement, but I never expected it to generate this kind of controversy. The mosque being discussed is not more than two prayer rows; it is a small mosque. It is not a Friday mosque, but some people across the world understood it to be a large Friday mosque,” he said.

The cleric also argued that his remarks had been given different meanings because of political tensions.

He said he never described the mosque as a Juma’at mosque and regretted that the issue had grown into a major controversy.

Abubakar subsequently apologised to those who misunderstood his statement, stressing that he was only referring to a small mosque.

“In the name of Allah, I apologise to everyone who understood it to mean that it was a Juma’at mosque. That was not what I meant. I was referring to a small mosque,” he stated.

He further disclosed that the mosque had only seven worshippers, adding that they had already settled any disagreements surrounding his brief removal.