‎BY AHMED AKANBI

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‎Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Phrank Shaibu, has accused President Bola Tinubu of politicising his recent Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

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‎Shaibu said the trip is being presented as a spiritual endorsement for Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

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‎”It does look like the president’s got some spiritual nod there, some kind of Saudi Arabia endorsement for re-election,” he said, adding that “No second term can be given to anybody via a spiritual claim.“

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‎He insisted pilgrimage should remain a private act of worship, not a political campaign tool.

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‎Shaibu argued Umrah can be completed within a few hours, adding Muslims are free to spend two or three days performing rites without turning it into political spectacle.

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‎”I know for a fact that ordinarily, Umrah is something you can undertake within three hours. If you want to do it for two, three days, not a problem,” he said.

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‎He compared Tinubu’s trip with Atiku’s religious practices, claiming the former Vice President has undertaken Umrah more than 32 times without using them for political publicity.

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‎Shaibu said Atiku spent the entire 30 days of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia last year, describing his religious activities as private.

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‎”It is something that is private; we never politicised it. During the last Ramadan, he was there for the entire 30 days. It is nothing we politicise,” he said.

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‎Shaibu also questioned Tinubu’s sincerity of faith over continued detention of former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, arguing keeping a fellow Muslim in detention over minor political disagreement contradicts religious values.

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‎El-Rufai, a former ally of Tinubu, has faced legal and political troubles after breakdown in relations with the President’s camp, an allegation that requires independent evidence and response from authorities.

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‎Tinubu’s pilgrimage has drawn political attention amid discussions about his re-election bid, with Shaibu’s comments adding to growing exchanges between Atiku supporters and ruling APC ahead of 2027 general elections.