Bauchi Sharia Commission Summons Imam Over Alleged Removal For supporting Tinubu

The Bauchi State Sharia Commission has summoned Dahiru Abubakar, popularly known as Malam Danmalam or Jejiwe Danmalam, to clarify reports alleging that he was removed as the Imam of a mosque in Bauchi following his campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

The cleric was summoned on Wednesday following reports by some media organisations claiming that he was removed as the chief Imam of a mosque in Madina Quarters, Bauchi, for campaigning in support of Tinubu’s 2027 presidential ambition.

The reports sparked widespread controversy, with some members of the public dismissing the claims, insisting that the man in question had never served as an Imam in any mosque in Bauchi, let alone being removed from the position.
Others accused him of using the issue to attract public and political attention for personal gains.

The controversy prompted the Sharia Commission to invite him to hear his side of the story and offer advice on the need to avoid involving religious inyo politics in inappropriate ways.

The Commander of the Hisbah under the Bauchi State Sharia Commission, Malam Muhammad Muhammad Bununu, led the meeting with Dahiru Abubakar, during which the Danmalam was given the opportunity to explain his earlier remarks and how they were reported.

Malam Danmalam accused some media organisations of misrepresenting his comments, insisting that he never described the mosque in question as a big or Friday mosque, but rather a small neighbourhood mosque.

He said, “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 added, “I never said it was a Friday mosque. It is a small mosque. The matter should not have been blown out of proportion to the extent of damaging the reputation of some governments. I know how we politicians behave and how people react. When you make one statement, someone can twist it into almost ten different interpretations.”

Malam Danmalam apologised to those who were offended by the matter, saying he never intended to hurt anyone.

“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 said.

He also urged members of the public and media organisations to report his statements accurately without adding words he never uttered or distorting their original meaning.

“Stop spreading things I never said,” he warned.

Dahiru explained that no more than seven worshippers had prayed at the mosque, adding that they had already resolved their differences over his removal as imam.

He confirmed that the seven worshippers were the ones who removed him as the imam of the small mosque, which he described as having only two prayer rows.

Despite the controversy, Danmalam maintained his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his commitment to campaigning for his re-election.

Speaking on his invitation from the Sharia Commission, he expressed appreciation to the commission for the advice it gave him.

He also expressed regret over the controversy surrounding the issue and the impression that he had been removed from a large Friday mosque.