A Friday Juma'at sermon delivered by prominent Muslim cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Jalo Jalingo in Taraba State created tension after a member of the congregation openly challenged his positive assessment of the federal government led by President Bola Tinubu. The confrontation occurred inside a local mosque during congregational prayers when the religious leader asserted that the current federal administration was not oppressive, prompting an immediate public rebuttal from a worshipper who shouted "That's a lie!"
What happened during the Taraba mosque service?
Footage captured inside the worship center showed several attendees staging a walkout in protest as the verbal disagreement escalated. The confrontation quickly spilled into the public domain, generating widespread debate and varied reactions across social media platforms regarding the intersection of religious leadership and partisan politics.
Following the incident, Sheikh Jalo Jalingo took to social media on Saturday morning to release a formal statement directed at residents of Taraba State. He appealed for restraint and political pragmatism, urging citizens to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) in upcoming electoral cycles to overcome decades of perceived marginalization.
In his social media address, the cleric wrote that exercising patience and political maturity by voting for the ruling party would pave the way for liberation from hardship and injustice that the region has allegedly suffered for over two decades. He further contended that backing alternative platforms such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) would merely perpetuate existing local challenges, while cautioning against smaller entities like the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
How did social media users respond to the cleric's remarks?
The cleric's follow-up remarks drew considerable criticism from online commentators, many of whom questioned his motivations and accused him of mixing religious influence with partisan interests. Critics such as Rufai Abubakar Fta and Malam Adamu Chilariye publicly expressed skepticism on Facebook, suggesting that the cleric's political endorsements served personal ambitions rather than the collective welfare of the populace. Other respondents, including Gambo Basiru Jata and Mubaraq Dan Funtua, questioned why the religious leader addressed political strategies without directly acknowledging the commotion that occurred inside the mosque the previous day, highlighting ongoing civic tensions ahead of future national elections.