Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
A Nigerian cleric who openly supported the controversial Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket that produced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in 2023 has now publicly criticised the administration, alleging that its policies have inflicted hardship on ordinary Nigerians.
In a video message circulating on social media, the cleric revealed that he was paid to persuade voters to back the Muslim-Muslim ticket during the 2023 presidential election campaign. He said he and others were “selected and paid to go round and convince people to vote” for the ticket under the belief that it was intended for the common good.
However, speaking now with candid regret, the cleric described the outcome of those efforts as deeply disappointing. “What kind of President is this? All your policies are for people to suffer,” he said in the video, condemning the administration’s economic direction and suggesting that the reality of governance had betrayed the expectations that shaped his earlier support.
His comments have drawn attention because of his prior role. The Muslim-Muslim ticket — where both the presidential and vice-presidential candidates were Muslims — was a significant source of controversy ahead of the 2023 polls, with critics arguing it broke with Nigeria’s tradition of religious balance in leadership and risked alienating Christian voters and national unity. That controversy was part of broader debates over ticket balance, zoning and inclusivity during the election cycle.
The cleric’s reversal comes amid ongoing public frustration with Nigeria’s economic conditions, including high inflation, rising cost of living, currency instability and other challenges that many Nigerians attribute, fairly or not, to current federal policies. Experts note that while some reform measures — such as the removal of fuel subsidies and efforts to unify exchange rates — were intended to stabilise the economy, they also increased hardship for households that lacked adequate safety nets. Critics of the government’s economic approach argue that these burdens have been felt acutely across income groups.
The cleric’s acknowledgment that he changed course after realising the “intentions were not pure” reflects a broader trend of disenchantment among some Nigerians who supported Tinubu’s administration during the election but have since expressed regret, dissatisfaction or disillusionment. While some religious leaders have continued to defend the ticket — emphasising unity and decrying what they term unfair criticism — others, like this cleric, have publicly questioned the administration’s impact on everyday life.
Public reaction to the cleric’s comments has been mixed. Some Nigerians have praised his willingness to speak out and own up to his past role in advocating for a controversial political stance, seeing it as a rare moment of accountability in a climate where political allies rarely admit error. Others have condemned him for having accepted payment to promote a position that many felt was divisive at the time, arguing that accountability is owed not only to history but to the suffering of citizens now experiencing economic strain.
Amid these domestic political undercurrents, analysts suggest the development is part of a wider narrative about the evolving public sentiment toward the Tinubu administration as it approaches the midpoint of its term and begins grappling with the political landscape of the 2027 general elections.
For now, the cleric’s candid remarks underscore the complex interplay between religion, politics and governance in Nigeria, and the enduring debate over how best to balance identity, performance and public trust in the nation’s democratic process.
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