KANO, Nigeria — Prominent cleric Sheikh Barrister Ishaq Adam Kano has sparked a major political row after rejecting the reported alliance of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso in the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
In a viral video address, the cleric cautioned northern Muslims against choosing a “non-Muslim” over a Muslim president, regardless of the current leadership’s shortcomings.
Sheikh Kano claimed that some northerners seeking political change are inadvertently opening the door for a candidate he described as more dangerous than the current administration.
Referring specifically to Peter Obi, the cleric alleged that the former governor demonstrated hostility toward the North during his tenure and worked against northern interests during the 2023 elections. He argued that it is impossible for the region to support a man who he claims previously collaborated to defeat northern political influence.
Framing the 2027 contest as a religious litmus test, the cleric insisted on the doctrine of the “lesser evil.”
He acknowledged that while the North has seen significant decline and regression under the current government, religious solidarity must remain the priority. He stated that no matter how unjust a Muslim leader might be, he would never choose a non-Muslim alternative.
He urged his followers to set aside “greater harm” and accept a leader whose harm might be less in the long run.
The cleric further alleged that there is a malicious ethnic agenda against the Hausa-Fulani people.
He declared that the region would never accept a candidate he perceives as hostile to northerners.
These comments land just days after Obi and Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC, a move party leader Seriake Dickson described as a “powerful convergence.” Sheikh Kano’s address now presents a significant challenge to the NDC’s plans to expand its footprint in the North ahead of the 2027 general elections.
