Bago’s Sermon Edict Sparks Debate: Niger Clerics and Lawyers Weigh In on Preaching Policy

Governor Umar Bago’s recent announcement requiring clerics to obtain licenses and bring “scriptures for review” at Friday sermons has ignited a sharp debate, pitting the need for public order against the fundamental guarantee of religious freedom. The directive, which a top state official insists is merely the revival of a 39-year-old law, has drawn varying responses from Nigeria’s Christian and Muslim communities, as well as the legal profession.

Dependable NG reports that the policy which requires clerics to obtain licenses within two months—is stirring concerns over potential political misuse, even as the government argues its sole aim is to sanitize religious discourse and prevent incitement.

The state government has moved quickly to manage the narrative surrounding the directive. In an exclusive interview, the Director General of the Niger State Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, clarified that the policy is not a new law but a revival of an edict that has been on the books since 1985. “The preaching law has been in existence. What we are just trying to do now is to revive the law to make it useful, so that we can have peaceful environments and avoid creating tensions,” Farooq explained. He stressed that the government has not banned preaching, but rather seeks to mandate responsible conduct, ensuring that all sermons are confined to “the words of God and His prophets.”

Farooq was explicit about the law’s purpose: it is to prevent preachers from “spreading hatred, inciting violence, or insulting other people and institutions.” He affirmed that the goal is not to silence spiritual leaders but to bring order and discipline to the sector and aid the government in gathering proper data on the number and identity of clerics operating within the state. Enforcement, he explained, will be channeled through the various religious groups or sects, who will act as guarantors for their members.

The initial confusion surrounding the policy’s scope was addressed by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter. Daniel Atori, media aide to the state CAN Chairman, Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, stated that the directive, for the moment, applies strictly to Islamic clerics under the Da’awa registration framework. Atori noted that the government’s intervention was a direct response to reports of certain preachers delivering inciting messages and challenging democratic principles, particularly in some Muslim-dominated areas of the state. He clarified that the forms currently available are specific to the Islamic community. However, he stressed that CAN does not fundamentally object to government checks on preaching when messages are capable of causing public disorder, acknowledging that the regulation could be extended to Christian leaders if future circumstances warrant it.

The move was partly validated by an Islamic cleric in Kano, Jabeer Mukthar Salisu, who argued that the regulation may have been triggered by the rise of rival sects and extremist preaching. Jabeer observed that some clerics use their influence to incite followers into violence, a concerning trend made easier by the fact that the religious sphere often lacks formal entry requirements, allowing anyone to declare themselves a leader. However, Jabeer echoed the widespread public concern that the law could be politicized. “What worries many people is whether the government will use this law to silence voices it doesn’t like,” he noted. He cautioned that while the current administration may have sincere motives, a future government could easily hijack the law as a tool of political control, urging a focus on respectful, knowledge-based debate among clerics instead of government regulation.

From a constitutional standpoint, Barrister Usman Yau affirmed that Governor Bago is acting within his rights by enforcing the existing edict. Yau explained that many edict laws, which were the main legal instruments used by military governors before Nigeria’s return to democracy, were subsequently carried over and adopted into the democratic constitution. According to the lawyer, the constitution legally empowers state governments to reinforce laws specifically aimed at promoting good governance, peace, and public order, thereby providing a solid legal basis for the Governor’s contentious new policy.