ADC campaign spokesman, Phrank Shaibu, accuses President’s supporters of politicising religious pilgrimage, questions sincerity of his faith and says Nigerians will remember hunger, not prayers, ahead of 2027.
The political battle ahead of the 2027 presidential election has taken a dramatic religious turn, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) campaign spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, declaring that President Bola Tinubu’s spiritual journey to Saudi Arabia cannot guarantee him a second term in office.
Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s _Politics Today_ on Monday, where he criticised the President’s recent Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca.
He argued that a visit to the holy land should be a personal spiritual affair rather than a political spectacle, accusing Tinubu’s supporters of turning the religious exercise into a campaign narrative.
“”A second term cannot be secured through spiritual claims,” was the thrust of Shaibu’s criticism, as he questioned the political significance being attached to the President’s pilgrimage.
The ADC spokesman did not stop there. In a blistering attack, he questioned Tinubu’s sincerity of faith, arguing that the President’s religious devotion should also be reflected in how his administration treats Nigerians.
He specifically referenced the continued detention of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, suggesting that the situation raised questions about the sincerity of the President’s professed religious convictions.
Shaibu also took aim at the President’s public remarks in Saudi Arabia, accusing him of speaking into a microphone about prayers and divine guidance while millions of Nigerians continue to grapple with hunger and economic hardship.
He dismissed the administration’s claims of economic improvement, insisting that ordinary Nigerians have yet to feel meaningful relief from the rising cost of food, goods and essential services.
According to him, Nigerians are unlikely to forget the economic difficulties confronting them simply because the President has embarked on a spiritual journey.
Rather, Shaibu argued, the electorate would remember the soaring prices of basic necessities and the hardship experienced under the Tinubu administration when deciding the country's political future.
In a particularly striking revelation, the ADC spokesman claimed that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had sponsored Tinubu’s first trip to Mecca, responding to a question about whether Atiku would have accompanied the President to Saudi Arabia if invited.
Turning to the 2027 presidential race, Shaibu expressed confidence in Atiku’s electoral prospects, declaring that the former vice-president was “home and dry” across the northern states.
Tinubu departed Abuja for Makkah on October 29 to perform the religious rites associated with Umrah, seeking Allah’s guidance and blessings for Nigeria and its people.
After completing the pilgrimage, the President described the experience as spiritually fulfilling, saying he had prayed for wisdom and resilience to continue leading the country.
He also recalled performing Umrah before the 2023 presidential election, saying he had promised to return to thank Almighty Allah if his prayers were answered.
Tinubu maintained that divine intervention had played a role in his emergence as President, expressing confidence that God had granted him the wisdom to continue governing Nigeria.
He said power ultimately belonged to God, who could give it to one person and transfer it to another depending on how it was used.
But as the political temperature rises ahead of 2027, Shaibu’s remarks have injected a fresh controversy into the national conversation, placing the President’s religious pilgrimage alongside the country's economic challenges and the increasingly fierce struggle for political power.
For the opposition, the message is clear: prayers may provide spiritual strength, but the battle for Nigerians’ votes will ultimately be decided at the ballot box.
Tinubu’s Umrah Won’t Secure Second Term – Atiku’s Aide
