ADC Rejects Tinubu’s Clerics’ Endorsement, Says Politics Has Apparently Found a Seat in the Pulpit

The Jigawa State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the reported endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term by more than 500 Islamic scholars, clerics and preachers who gathered in Dutse, warning that religious authority should not be turned into a political campaign platform. The development has added another layer of drama to Nigeria’s increasingly early 2027 political season, where even sermons, communiqués and railway projects now appear capable of becoming election talking points. Reports confirm that the gathering in Dutse involved more than 500 Islamic scholars and religious leaders, with President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari, among those present.

ADC Says Religious Endorsement Should Not Become a Political Verdict

The ADC, in a statement signed by its Jigawa State Deputy Chairman and ADC Youth Ambassador, North, Ambassador Nuraddeen Suleiman Jidawa, described the endorsement as unfortunate and urged Islamic scholars and clerics to protect their independence, neutrality and moral authority. In the party’s telling, individual religious leaders are entitled to their political preferences, but the moment those preferences begin sounding like a collective religious verdict, the political temperature rises considerably. The party argued that support for a candidate should not be presented as the position of Nigeria’s entire Muslim community.

The ADC also challenged the communiqué from the Dutse gathering over claims concerning the Kano-Dutse/Kano-Maradi railway project. The party maintained that the project predates the Tinubu administration—a point supported by historical records showing that the Federal Executive Council approved the roughly $1.96 billion project in 2020, its contract was signed in January 2021, and former President Muhammadu Buhari performed the groundbreaking ceremony in February 2021. In other words, according to the historical record, the railway had already received its political boarding pass before the current administration arrived at the station.

Security Claims Put Under the Political Microscope

The ADC further rejected suggestions that Nigeria’s security situation, particularly in the North-West, had improved significantly. The party pointed to continuing reports of kidnapping and attacks in Kaduna, Sokoto and Zamfara, while also citing the August 24 report of a video apparently showing a large number of abducted Nigerians being held by armed men. Al Jazeera reported that the video appeared to show captives in a forested location, while Reuters separately reported that footage appeared to show about 600 people abducted during an attack in Niger State, although the exact number and circumstances remained subject to verification.

The timing has made the political argument particularly sharp. Reuters reported on August 25 that President Tinubu ordered an immediate military-led rescue operation following the Niger State mass kidnapping, with the government condemning the attack and demanding the safe recovery of the victims. Against that backdrop, the ADC says Nigerians should judge the administration by measurable realities—including security, employment, infrastructure, economic welfare, transparency and accountability—rather than by political endorsements. The party also criticised the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that transportation and food costs have placed additional pressure on households.

For OGM News NG, the bigger story is therefore not simply whether 500 religious scholars have endorsed President Tinubu, but whether religious authority, political campaigning and government performance can remain clearly separated as the 2027 contest approaches. The ADC has thrown down its challenge, the endorsement has become a political talking point, and the competing claims over security and infrastructure are now part of the argument. Readers should watch OGM News NG for further developments as the political season gathers momentum—and, judging by the latest controversy, possibly before the railway itself gets anywhere near the station