A Friday sermon delivered by a Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ibrahim Jalo Jalingo, in Taraba State reportedly sparked a disagreement after a worshipper openly challenged his assessment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The incident occurred during Juma’at prayers at a mosque where the cleric was delivering his sermon.
Jalo Jalingo was reportedly speaking about the Tinubu administration when he declared that the government was not oppressive.
However, a worshipper immediately challenged the statement, shouting, “That’s a lie!”
A video recorded inside the mosque showed some worshippers subsequently walking out in protest while the disagreement unfolded.
The incident has since attracted attention on social media, with several users reacting to the cleric’s comments and the response from members of the congregation.
In a Facebook post on Saturday morning, Jalo Jalingo issued what he described as advice to the people of Taraba State, urging them to exercise patience and vote for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the forthcoming elections.
He wrote: “We have advised our respected people of Taraba State to exercise patience, wisdom and political maturity by voting for the All Progressives Congress, APC. Through this choice, In Sha Allah, we believe we can set ourselves on the path towards liberation from the oppression and injustice that our state has endured for over 20 years.”
The cleric further argued that voting for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, would amount to sustaining what he described as longstanding injustice in the state.
He also cautioned against voting for the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, saying such a decision could amount to repeating political choices made over the past two decades.
“Indeed, the most appropriate decision in this year’s election is for all our people to exercise further patience and vote for the APC,” he added, while praying for Allah’s guidance and success for the state.
Facebook users react
The cleric’s post has generated mixed reactions, with several commenters questioning his position and the call for residents to support the APC.
Rufai Abubakar Fta questioned whether the cleric’s political position was driven by the interests of the people or personal considerations.
He wrote: “This is your ambition and for your personal benefit, not for the people of Taraba State or Nigerians.”
Another commenter, Malam Adamu Chilariye, accused the cleric of allowing political interests to affect public confidence in his religious teachings.
He wrote: “You have made people no longer listen to what Allah and His Messenger said because of your involvement in politics and personal interests.”
Gambo Basiru Jata also appeared to refer to the previous day’s incident, asking: “Ya Sheikh, this early morning, abi you dream about the challenges you faced yesterday?”
Similarly, Mubaraq Dan Funtua questioned the cleric’s decision to make another post without addressing the reported incident at the mosque.
The cleric’s Facebook statement comes amid growing public debate over political choices ahead of the 2027 general elections.