KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, denied social media reports that he urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
- The Sultan’s media team, in a statement signed by Prince Bashir Adefaka on Tuesday, said the monarch cannot make partisan political statements publicly or privately.
- Prince Bashir Adefaka urged Nigerians and media users to reject the claim, verify reports before sharing, and avoid dragging royal and religious institutions into politics.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that he has called on Nigerians to support the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The Sultan’s media team, in a statement signed by Prince Bashir Adefaka and made available to Naija News on Tuesday, described the claim as false, insisting that the Sultan, as a father figure to all Nigerians, could not make such a partisan political statement either publicly or privately.
Adefaka urged Nigerians to disregard and condemn what it described as a malicious attempt to drag the Sultan into partisan politics.
“Our simple response to the report is that it is not possible for the Sultan, as the father of all, to make such a statement, either publicly or in any other forum,” the statement said.
It further stated, “Let it be made clear once again that the institutions of monarchy and religion led by the Sultan are institutions of a father figure. As such, His Eminence cannot but remain within the purview of that role by offering fatherly, royal and spiritual blessings, as well as guidance, to Nigerian politicians who seek his counsel and blessings.
“The Sultan’s doors cannot be shut against anyone who comes to him, regardless of political affiliation or persuasion. His Eminence has consistently demonstrated that he is the father of all and will continue to relate with all Nigerians without discrimination.”
The Media Team called on members of the public to reject any attempt to misrepresent the Sultan’s position or associate him with the political campaign or candidacy of any individual ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It added that the Sultan remained committed to promoting peace, unity, stability and peaceful coexistence among Nigeria’s diverse peoples and faiths.
The statement also appealed to media practitioners and social media users to exercise restraint by verifying information before sharing reports capable of misleading the public or dragging traditional and religious institutions into partisan political controversies.
