The Muslim Intellectuals Forum has urged Nigerians to vote for President Bola Tinubu in the forthcoming 2027 general election.

The forum made the call in a resolution reached at its meeting held in Dutse on Saturday.

Muntaka Darma, minister of housing and urban development, read the resolutions to journalists after the meeting.

No fewer than 500 Muslim clerics attended the meeting, including imams, preachers and Qur’anic memorisers from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Several political leaders also attended the meeting, including governors and the deputy Senate president.

They included Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni and Sokoto State Governor Ahmed Aliyu.

Others were Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and Barau Jibrin.

Mr Darma said the forum acknowledged improvements in security and infrastructure across northern Nigeria under the Tinubu administration.

“The forum agreed that there have been some improvements in terms of all factors and indicators of development in northern Nigeria,” he said.

He identified infrastructure development, including the rehabilitation of the Kano-Kaduna road, as one of the notable improvements recorded.

Mr Darma also cited improved security in several areas, particularly parts of Kaduna, Katsina and Sokoto states.

“Generally, security has improved in the north-eastern states,” he said, while acknowledging that further efforts were still required.

He, however, said the forum urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts to address security challenges in Niger and Zamfara states.

“Although the forum agreed that more needs to be done in Niger, Zamfara and other places, generally security has improved,” Mr Darma said.

According to him, the forum subsequently resolved to mobilise support for Mr Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“The forum, therefore, invited the general public to vote for the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the January 2027 election,” he said.

Mr Darma described the endorsement as the resolution of the meeting following extensive discussions among participating Muslim intellectuals and religious leaders. 

(NAN)