Popular Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has dismissed criticisms surrounding his visit to Ibadan in 2025, rejecting allegations that he was promoting the Islamisation of Oyo State or advancing northern religious interests in the South-West.
In a statement shared on Facebook on Tuesday, Gumi said his visit was misunderstood and wrongly linked to local political debates. He maintained that his presence in Ibadan was strictly in a representative capacity and not at the invitation of any Muslim group or individual in the South-West. The Islamic cleric also stressed that no person or organisation could prevent him from travelling freely to any part of Nigeria.
According to Gumi, he attended the event in Ibadan as a representative of the Coalition of Northern Muslim Ulama and not as a delegate of any South-West-based Islamic organisation.
“I now understand how Islamophobia is shaping politics in the South-West and why I was dragged into local political controversies,” he wrote.
“I was in Ibadan not at the invitation of any South-West Muslim individual or group, but as a representative of the Coalition of Northern Muslim Ulama. “Can anybody stop me from going anywhere in Nigeria?” The remarks were made in response to renewed discussions surrounding his November 19, 2025, visit to Oyo State.
The Islamic cleric visited Ibadan as a guest speaker at the Southern Nigerian Ulama Summit held at the University of Ibadan. During the trip, he also participated in a courtesy meeting attended by prominent Muslim scholars from both northern and southern parts of the country. The event brought together religious leaders to discuss issues affecting Muslim communities and national development.
Gumi’s response came a day after one of the victims abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State challenged reports suggesting that kidnappers had demanded the introduction of Sharia law in the state. The victim, Mrs. Rachael Alamu, principal of Community High School, Esiele, spoke in a video recorded while in captivity and later circulated online.
According to her, the abductors neither demanded the implementation of Sharia law nor requested a N1 billion ransom. She stated that the kidnappers were seeking the release of some of their associates who were being held in government custody.
The comments by Gumi have renewed discussions about religion, politics, and public perception in different parts of the country. While Gumi maintains that his visit to Ibadan was purely official and connected to his role within a coalition of northern Islamic scholars, the debate surrounding the visit continues to attract public attention amid broader conversations on national unity and religious tolerance.
