Abubakar additionally stated his proposal to rename the mosque after the President contributed to the disagreement.
“The second reason for my removal is that I requested that the mosque be renamed ‘Sheikh Imam Bola Ahmed Tinubu Mosque’. That suggestion was not well received,” he stated.
However, residents described Abubakar as a comic and controversial determine, alleging that he was related to politicians from totally different events.
Ibrahim Muhammad, a resident, informed our reporter that Abubakar was broadly referred to as a comic and controversial determine.
“Everybody knows ‘Jejiwe Danmalam’ as a comedian and controversial figure. He works for almost any political party,” Muhammad stated.
He additional alleged that Abubakar had beforehand criticised Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress over financial hardship earlier than declaring support for the President.
Muhammad urged journalists to confirm data earlier than publication, notably as political actions forward of the 2027 elections collect momentum.
“During this political season, everybody will look for ways to attract attention. It is therefore important for journalists to verify information before spreading it,” he stated.
The chairman of the mosque committee additionally disputed Abubakar’s claim to the place of imam.
“He is not the substantive imam of the mosque. He only leads prayers when the actual imam is absent. That is all,” he stated.
Jibrin stated the committee’s concern was not solely Abubakar’s support for Tinubu but additionally his alleged use of the mosque for political discussions.
“Our major challenge with him was not only his campaign for Tinubu but the way and manner he gathered many people in front of the mosque and sometimes entered the mosque purposely to discuss politics,” he stated.
He stated the committee had warned Abubakar in opposition to utilizing the mosque for political actions.
“The mosque committee sat down with him and cautioned him against turning the mosque into a political platform because of the Quranic verse which says the mosque is exclusively for the worship of Allah. We vehemently rejected the use of the mosque for political meetings,” he stated.
Jibrin added, “We have warned him not once or twice but many times, but he didn’t heed our pleas.”
On the proposed identify change, the committee chairman stated members rejected the thought as a result of the mosque belonged to the group.
“All the committee members said ‘no’ because the mosque belongs to the community. This mosque has a committee of which I am one of the members, and when he insisted, we rejected the idea and resolved that the mosque name would remain,” he stated.
Jibrin maintained that the committee was not in opposition to any political candidate however wouldn’t permit the mosque for use for partisan actions.
Meanwhile, Islamic scholar Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Adam Disina described stories of the alleged removal as false, saying a social media submit he supposed as a joke had led to stories by some media organisations.
“The story about the Imam being removed in Bauchi is a complete farce,” he stated.
Disina questioned why the stories have been printed with out what he thought of enough checks.
“These are two media outlets that are supposed to be credible, from which one expects verification, professionalism and thorough investigation; yet, they fell into a trap set by social media,” he stated.
The Bauchi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists additionally questioned the stories, saying its preliminary inquiries discovered no proof that Abubakar had been appointed or served as an imam in any mosque within the state.
In an announcement signed by its chairman, Isah Garba Gadau, and secretary, Isiyaka Ismail Wunti, the council stated the stories didn’t establish the mosque authorities allegedly chargeable for the removal or set up the explanations for the choice.
The NUJ urged journalists to contact related mosque authorities and independently confirm claims earlier than publishing stories involving faith and politics.
