The Chief Imam of Al-Furqan Mosque in Kano, Dr Bashir Aliyu Umar, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its directive that all voters’ cards must be revalidated within stipulated days.
The cleric who is also the President of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN), gave the warning while delivering his Friday sermon in Kano.
He described the move as “unfair” and warned that it could disenfranchise millions of Nigerians, particularly those in areas with large populations.
He argued that voter revalidation is not provided for in the electoral law and questioned the feasibility of completing such a process in less than two months.
“Whosoever has a voter’s card has the right to vote and decide who rules. They are simply trying to render the voter’s card useless despite the fact that we spent a long time sensitising people on its importance,” he said.
The cleric cautioned that the policy could lead to unrest if citizens feel their rights are being undermined.
He drew parallels with protests and instability in countries such as Libya, Sudan and Syria, urging Nigerian leaders to avoid actions that could trigger similar crises.
Dr Umar also reiterated his earlier call for the removal of the INEC chairman, alleging that the commission’s leadership harbours “sinister intentions against Nigerian Muslims.”
He maintained that the short timeline for revalidation was impractical and designed to cut down the number of eligible voters.
He further noted that the last election demonstrated the numerical strength of Muslims in the country, warning that insecurity and travel difficulties would make it impossible for many to revalidate their cards at their local government headquarters.
“We call on our lawmakers to reject it. We are waiting for them because we didn’t hear anything from them,” he said, adding that Muslims would continue to rely on their voice and prayers against what he described as unfair plans.