2027: Islamic Clerics Urge Tinubu To Drop Re-Election Bid Over Hardship, Insecurity

More than 1,000 Islamic clerics have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider his bid for a second term in the 2027 presidential election, citing concerns over economic hardship, insecurity and other challenges facing Nigerians.

The call was contained in a communique issued at the end of a national conference on “An Assessment of the State of the Nation under President Tinubu and the 2027 General Elections,” held in Kano State.

The conference was organised by the group Ko Da Naka…For the Struggle to Promote Good Governance and Community Development, in collaboration with the AFAQ Educational Foundation.

Participants expressed dissatisfaction with some of the Federal Government’s economic policies, including the removal of fuel subsidy, changes to the naira exchange-rate regime, increases in electricity tariffs and tax reforms.

According to the communique, the policies had increased the economic burden on ordinary Nigerians, while the government was accused of prioritising revenue generation amid rising living costs and unemployment.

The clerics therefore called on the administration to review what they described as harmful economic policies, warning that failure to do so should lead to the rejection of the government at the 2027 polls.

The conference also raised concerns over killings, kidnappings by bandits and other acts of terrorism, particularly in the North-West, and urged the Federal Government to take urgent measures to address insecurity.

The participants further called on President Tinubu to refrain from seeking re-election if the government does not change its approach to the issues raised at the conference.

The position comes amid endorsements of Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima by some Islamic organisations ahead of the 2027 election, including Jama’atul Izalatul Bid’a Wa Iqamatussunnah (JIBWIS) and the Qadiriyya Sufi order, according to the report.

The conference featured papers by several Islamic scholars and academics, including Dr Abdulmuɗɗalib Ahmad Giɗaɗo, Prof. Muhd Muslim Ibrahim, Sheikh Kabir Bashir Abdulhamid, Dr Aminu Isma’il Sagagi and Dr Najibullah Abdallah Nuhu.