The African Democratic Congress (ADC), Jigawa State Chapter, has urged Islamic scholars and clerics to safeguard their independence, credibility and moral authority by avoiding political affiliations or actions capable of undermining public trust in them.
The call was made in a statement issued to journalists by the ADC Youth Ambassador, North and Deputy Chairman of the party in Jigawa State, Ambassador Nuraddeen Suleiman Jidawa.
The party described the recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term by some Northern Islamic scholars, clerics and preachers as unfortunate.
The ADC expressed concern over attempts to portray political endorsements by religious leaders as representing the position of the wider Muslim community.
It also challenged claims in a communiqué issued after a meeting of the Northern Muslim Intellectuals, particularly the assertion that the Tinubu administration initiated the Kano-Dutse/Kano-Maradi railway project.
According to the party, the project was approved and awarded in 2021 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The ADC therefore challenged the APC-led Federal Government to identify major capital projects initiated and substantially executed by the Tinubu administration in Jigawa State.
The party also disputed claims of significant improvement in security, particularly in the North-West, citing recent incidents of kidnapping and terrorist attacks in Kaduna, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
It urged Islamic scholars and clerics to remain politically neutral and resist monetary inducements, political pressure or access to power that could compromise their independence and credibility.
The ADC further criticised the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that the policy had contributed to rising transportation, food and other living costs.
The party called on Nigerians to assess the performance of the Tinubu administration based on critical issues including security, economic wellbeing, employment, infrastructure, transparency and accountability.
The ADC stressed that it respected the right of individual clerics to make personal political choices but maintained that such endorsements should not be presented as religious verdicts or as representing the views of Nigeria’s entire Muslim community.
