Sunday August 23, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng
More than 500 Islamic scholars, preachers and clerics drawn from Nigeria’s 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The endorsement was made on Saturday, August 22, 2026, during a meeting of the Muslim Intellectual Forum in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital.
Reports from the meeting indicate that the gathering brought together Islamic scholars, Juma’at imams, academics, preachers and other Muslim intellectuals from across the northern region. The forum passed a vote of confidence in Tinubu’s administration and called on Nigerians to support his re-election bid.
The development was confirmed in separate reports by Nigerian media outlets, including TVC News and Leadership. TVC reported that more than 500 Islamic scholars, preachers and clerics participated in the meeting, while Leadership said the participants represented the 19 northern states and the FCT.
The meeting also attracted several political leaders, including Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Ibrahim Kabiru Masari, and Minister of State for Housing, Muttaka Rabe Darma, were also reported to have attended.
The forum’s resolutions were presented to journalists by Darma, who said the scholars reviewed developments in northern Nigeria under the Tinubu administration.
According to the resolutions, the participants expressed satisfaction with what they described as progress in infrastructure, security, social stability and economic development.
The forum cited projects such as the rehabilitation of the Kano-Kaduna highway as evidence of ongoing infrastructure development. The scholars also pointed to reported improvements in security in parts of Kaduna, Katsina and Sokoto states, while acknowledging that significant challenges remain in other parts of the North.
The group specifically called for greater efforts to address insecurity in Niger and Zamfara states and other areas still affected by violence and criminal activity.
Darma said the forum had considered various indicators of development in the region before reaching its decision to endorse the President.
“After expressing satisfaction with the exemplary leadership of President Bola Tinubu, the forum has endorsed his second-term bid and urged all well-meaning Nigerians to support him,” Leadership reported him as saying.
The endorsement adds to growing political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections, as political parties, support groups and prominent figures intensify consultations across the country.
Fact-check: The original claim that Islamic scholars from the 19 northern states met in Jigawa and endorsed Tinubu is substantially supported by multiple reports published on August 22–23, 2026. However, available reports indicate that the gathering involved more than 500 participants from the 19 northern states and the FCT, rather than simply “scholars from 19 states.” Reports also establish that several northern governors and senior political figures attended the meeting.
The endorsement represents the position of the Muslim Intellectual Forum and should not be interpreted as the collective endorsement of every Islamic scholar, Muslim organisation or resident across Northern Nigeria.
(InsideAGWA)
