APC Supporter Accuses Senator Buba of Bias Over Jerusalem Pilgrimage Sponsorship

A supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi State has accused Senator Shehu Umar Buba, who represents the Bauchi South Senatorial District, of bias in the sponsorship of religious pilgrimages.

The allegation was made by Sum Kanawa, an APC chieftain from Bogoro Local Government Area, in a post written in Hausa on Facebook.

The post, which has attracted wide reaction online, accused the senator of sponsoring Muslim pilgrims for the Hajj while failing to support Christian faithful seeking to travel on pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

In the post, Ms Kanawa claimed that Senator Buba had consistently provided sponsorship for trips to Mecca but had not extended similar support for Christian pilgrims.

The comments have since generated debate, particularly among Christian communities in the Bauchi South senatorial zone.

Some Christian groups in the area have criticized the senator, accusing him of religious bias and saying such an approach, if accurate, runs contrary to the principles of fairness and inclusion expected of an elected representative in a religiously diverse constituency.

Political and religious stakeholders within the district have also raised concerns about what they described as the marginalization of Christians, with some reportedly threatening to withdraw political support for the senator.

The critics drew comparisons with actions taken by other political leaders, including officials in Plateau and Rivers states, who have sponsored both Muslim and Christian pilgrims.

They questioned why similar gestures had not been extended to Christians in Bauchi South.

The controversy comes amid recent actions by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, who approved the sponsorship of more than 300 Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem, a move that was welcomed by Christian groups in the state.

Reacting to the issue, a group known as Bauchi State Christian Youths in Politics urged Senator Buba to uphold the constitutional rights of all citizens, regardless of religious affiliation.

In a statement, the group said pilgrimage sponsorship should not be handled along religious lines and warned against actions that could deepen divisions.

As of the time of publication, Senator Shehu Umar Buba had not publicly responded to the allegations.