1,117 Katsina clerics back Tinubu's 2027 re-election bid at Masari gathering
- Islamic scholars from Izala and Tijjaniyya groups in Katsina endorsed President Bola Tinubu for 2027 on Sunday.
- The gathering was organised by Ibrahim Masari, the President's adviser on political matters.
- A minister and a former Hisbah commander urged clerics to guide their followers on political choices.
More than a thousand Islamic clerics in Katsina State have thrown their weight behind President Bola Tinubu's bid to return to office in 2027.
The endorsement came on Sunday at a gathering in the state, where 1,117 scholars, imams, preachers and teachers from the Izala and Tijjaniyya groups declared their support, according to reports of the event.
The meeting was arranged by Ibrahim Masari, the presidential adviser on political matters. He told the clerics that the President is grateful for their backing and promised that his government will not let down the people of Katsina who put their trust in him.
Masari asked the religious leaders to take the message to their followers and to work for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in every contest in the 2027 general elections. He also spoke about the need for honesty, trust and accountability in leadership.
Ministers and clerics make the case
Also at the event was the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqa Rabe-Darma. He told the scholars that their words carry weight in their communities and asked them to help explain the government's policies and plans to ordinary people.
Rabe-Darma noted that politicians from all parties look to religious leaders for blessings and support, a sign of how much influence they hold. He urged them to use Friday sermons and other community meetings to make the case for the President's second term.
Sheikh Aminu Usman, known as Abu Ammar and the state's immediate past Hisbah commander, said clerics should not stay quiet on political issues. Their work, he argued, goes beyond worship to teaching people about leadership and governance.
He asked scholars to help their followers weigh candidates by their records and performance, and to speak honestly about political developments as the 2027 race gathers pace.
The event shows religious leaders being drawn into early campaigning for the 2027 general elections, with the clerics' support declared at a gathering organised by a presidential adviser.
