Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lere Olayinka, has reacted to comments by Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who cautioned Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago over his recent remarks on insecurity and Fulani communities.
The governor reportedly said that while Usman dan Fodio brought Islam to the region, he did not engage in kidnapping or banditry, describing him as a peaceful Islamic cleric.
Reacting to the governor’s remarks, Gumi advised Bago to be more careful with his choice of words, warning that excessive rhetoric could be counterproductive in a multi-religious and democratic society.
“The current governor of Niger State, Alhaji Mohammed Umar Bago, needs to be careful with his word choice; verbosity in politics is detrimental to good governance, especially in a multi-religious democratic setting,” Gumi wrote.
Olayinka, however, questioned the cleric’s intervention, suggesting that Gumi’s comments were unnecessary.
In a brief reaction posted on his X handle, the presidential aide wrote:
“What exactly is the interest of this man?”
Although Olayinka did not elaborate further, his post sparked reactions on social media, with users expressing differing views over Gumi’s intervention and the governor’s remarks.
The exchange comes amid ongoing national conversations on insecurity, particularly the menace of kidnapping and banditry in parts of northern Nigeria.
Public officials and stakeholders have continued to debate the best approach to addressing the security challenges while avoiding comments that could inflame ethnic or religious tensions.
Neither Governor Bago nor Gumi had publicly responded to Olayinka’s latest remarks at the time of filing this report.