20/08/2026
Prominent Kano Islamic scholar, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, has said Nigeria’s elections are purely political contests and should not be treated as religious obligations.
Speaking in an interview with DW Hausa, Daurawa said Muslim-Muslim, Christian-Christian, Muslim-Christian or Christian-Muslim political tickets are the same under Nigeria’s democratic system.
He said voters should focus on a candidate’s performance, competence and plans for the future rather than making religion the basis for their choice.
Daurawa, who is also the Commander of the Kano Hisbah Board, argued that Nigeria’s Constitution and democratic system are not based on any religion and do not recognise political parties as either Islamic or Christian parties.
He explained that if Nigeria were operating under Sharia and strictly following the Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the situation would be different. However, under the current democratic system, he said religion should not be used as the sole yardstick for choosing candidates.
The scholar also challenged those who describe political parties as religious entities to identify any party registered by INEC as an Islamic or Christian party with a religious manifesto.
On the involvement of clerics in partisan politics, Daurawa warned that religious leaders who openly support political parties should be prepared to lose some of the broad respect they command as religious figures.
He also outlined four principles for peaceful political campaigns: no distribution of drugs to youths, no use of weapons, no insults or defamation of opponents, and voting sincerely based on merit.
He condemned attacks involving opponents’ parents, tribe, religion and personal lives, stressing that while criticism of policies is legitimate, character assassination and slander should not be considered politics.
Daurawa further disclosed that the Kano Hisbah Board plans to organise a workshop for media commentators from different political parties to promote responsible and peaceful political language.
