According to a report by Daily Trust on Saturday, March 21, 2026, a prominent Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, Professor Mansur Ibrahim Sokoto, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of abandoning Muslims after using them to secure victory in the 2023 elections.
Delivering his Eid sermon on Friday in Sokoto, Professor Ibrahim said the Muslim-Muslim ticket was only a political strategy to win power.
He claimed that Muslims and the northern region have not benefited from Tinubu’s administration.
According to him, “Tinubu won the election in 2023 using the Muslim-Muslim ticket, but presently Muslims are suffering under him. He is not after Muslims or Islam.”
He further added that the northern region, which is predominantly Muslim, is not a priority for the president. “What he is only after is Lagos, and even in Lagos, his allies are the Christians,” Professor Ibrahim said.
The cleric also cautioned fellow Islamic scholars and religious leaders against promoting political candidates solely based on religion.
He urged them to focus on real achievements and results in governance before endorsing any political figure in future campaigns.
Professor Ibrahim emphasised that Nigerians should support a president only if there are tangible improvements in key sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, business, the economy, and electricity.
He stated, “Whosoever will campaign for Tinubu should tell us what he did for us. But if there is nothing to campaign for him with, we should be allowed to try other candidates; maybe we can get relief.”
Efforts to get a response from the presidency regarding these allegations were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to presidential spokespersons had not been returned by press time.
The comments from Professor Ibrahim have sparked debate among political and religious circles, especially as the country continues to recover from the challenges of the past few years.
Many are now questioning whether political campaigns based on religion can truly deliver results for citizens.
Professor Ibrahim’s remarks highlight a growing concern among some northern Muslims about whether their interests are being prioritised in the current administration. Read_More…