2023 Election: Sokoto Spiritual Leader Alleges What Tinubu Did to Win
- Professor Mansur Ibrahim Sokoto, an Islamic scholar, alleged that Bola Ahmed Tinubu used a Muslim-Muslim ticket as a strategy to win the 2023 election
- The cleric claimed the northern region was not prioritised under Tinubu’s administration despite its predominantly Muslim population
- The Islamic cleric urged religious figures to avoid faith-based endorsements and instead promote issue-based campaigns in future elections
Sokoto, Sokoto state - A Sokoto-based Islamic scholar, Professor Mansur Ibrahim Sokoto, has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu relied on a Muslim-Muslim ticket as a political strategy to win the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking during his Eid sermon in Sokoto on Friday, March 20, the cleric argued that the approach was primarily aimed at securing electoral support rather than advancing the interests of Muslims.
Source: UGC
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.”
Northern region not prioritised, cleric alleges
Professor Ibrahim further claimed that the northern region, largely populated by Muslims, has not received adequate attention under the current Tinubu-led administration.
“The northern region which is predominantly Muslim is not his priority either. What he is only after is Lagos, and even in Lagos, his allies are the Christians,” he said.
Cleric calls for issue-based political campaigns
The cleric cautioned fellow Islamic leaders against endorsing political candidates on religious grounds in future elections, urging a shift towards issue-based campaigns.
Source: UGC
He stressed that support for any leader should be based on measurable performance across key sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, the economy, business, and electricity supply, Daily Trust reported.
“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,” he added.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain a response from the Presidency were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to presidential spokespersons had not been returned.
Ayodele addresses alleged move to sack Shettima
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu is planning to replace Vice President (VP) Kashim Shettima.
In a statement on Sunday, January 25, 2026, signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, and shared with Legit.ng, Primate Ayodele reiterated his warning to Tinubu against using a Muslim-Muslim ticket, stating that this alleged disobedience could lead to the vice president’s imminent removal.
Political analyst backs cleric over Tinubu's 2023 moves
Supporting what the Sokoto cleric previously said about Tinubu and how he won the 2023 election, a political analyst, Hamma Hayatu, while speaking with Legit.ng on Sunday, March 22, said:
"The only reason Tinubu won the 2023 election was because he was adopted by the Muslims in northern Nigeria as a Muslim candidate flying an islamic ticket with a Muslim Muslim on it. Few of us were not hoodwinked by the deception, now many of those who sold him are backtracking as there is nothing islamic about him or the ticket. We are vindicated, and obviously that deception cannot work 2027."
Momodu on to sack Tinubu in 2027
Previously, Legit.ng reported that Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation magazine, said that an opposition ticket involving Atiku Abubakar and a southern political figure with allegiance to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) could unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Momodu, speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Sunday, March 15, monitored by Legit.ng, argued that a coalition ticket featuring Atiku, a former Nigerian vice president, and a prominent southern politician, such as former governors Rotimi Amaechi or Peter Obi, could significantly weaken the ruling party’s chances in the next general election.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
