Sheikh Dr. Bashir Aliyu Umar has urged Nigerians to make their own judgment ahead of the 2027 general election, saying voters should not depend on religious scholars or other individuals to decide who they should support.
The Kano based Islamic scholar and President of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria said the present condition of the country already gives Nigerians enough information to assess their choices.
Umar questioned whether Nigerians really need someone else to tell them what the right choice is, given the situation in the country. He urged voters to be wise, think carefully and consider the consequences of their decisions before casting their ballots.
He warned that Nigerians who fail to make careful choices could later return to complain that they had been treated unjustly.
The message puts the responsibility for electoral decisions on individual voters rather than religious leaders, with Umar urging Nigerians to assess the country’s condition and make choices they can defend in the future.
Umar is the Chief Imam of Al Furqan Mosque in Kano and an Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Bayero University Kano. He holds a PhD in Hadith and Islamic Studies from the Islamic University of Madinah. He has also served in Islamic finance roles, including as a Special Adviser to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Non Interest Banking from 2010 to 2014.
He is a recipient of the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger and serves as Vice President of the Union of African Scholars. His work has included participation in Shariah advisory bodies connected to banking and financial institutions in Nigeria and internationally.
Umar became President of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria in April 2025 after the death of Sheikh Abdul Rasheed Hadiyatullah. He had previously served as vice president and was confirmed as president in accordance with the council’s constitution and established succession procedures.
The scholar has also been vocal on electoral issues in the months leading to the 2027 polls. In January 2026, the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria said it would not recognise elections it considered compromised and called for credible electoral processes.
In April 2026, Umar also criticised a planned voter revalidation exercise, warning that a short period for the exercise could disenfranchise millions of voters. He also backed calls by the council for the removal of INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan.
His latest message comes as political parties and politicians continue to engage influential religious and community figures ahead of the 2027 election.
With the 2027 election approaching, the message places voter judgment at the centre of the political debate and urges Nigerians to consider carefully whether the choices they make today are ones they will be prepared to defend tomorrow.
