Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Fani-Kayode Rejects Cleric’s Claim Nigeria Belongs to Muslims

Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Fani-Kayode Rejects Cleric’s Claim Nigeria Belongs to Muslims

Ambassador-designate says Sheikh Yahaya Jingir’s “extremist rhetoric” could alienate Christian voters and endanger President Tinubu’s re-election

Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has strongly criticised Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahaya Jingir over remarks made in support of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that such rhetoric could alienate Christian voters and deepen religious divisions in the country. The controversy erupted after a video of Jingir speaking at an event in Kano, attended by some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors including Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf and Jigawa Governor Umar Namadi, circulated widely on social media. In the video, Jingir praised President Bola Tinubu for adopting the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election and declared his continued support for the arrangement. “Special thanks to my (political) hero, Bola Tinubu, who raised the flag of this political ideology, describing it as a purely Muslim-Muslim coalition,” Jingir said. “I am among the staunch advocates of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, and I call on you to come together for Muslim-Muslim ticket,” he added. The cleric acknowledged opposition to the arrangement by Christians and members of other religious groups but questioned whether his advocacy amounted to wrongdoing. “I am aware that some are embittered by this word. However, are there no Christians alike? Are there no Jews? Are there no traditionalists? Have I done anything wrong by merely campaigning for a Muslim-Muslim ticket?” he asked. Reaffirming his position, Jingir said, “But as a Muslim, I repeat it, Muslim-Muslim! No going back on this.”

Jingir also urged Muslims at the gathering to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2027 elections. “I urge all of us here to go and get our voters’ cards ready. Let’s show the infidels their limit, who claim they are more populous than us in Nigeria. They are lying!” he said. He was also reported to have advised Nigerians who oppose a Muslim-Muslim ticket to leave the country, stating that Nigeria “belongs to us.” The cleric attributed the previous electoral defeat of opponents to his stance on the issue, saying, “If it wasn’t for my stance on a Muslim-Muslim ticket, somebody would have claimed they are more populous than us. But by the grace of Allah, we defeated them so ignominiously that they did not even make it to the second place in the polls, did they? They came third after all.”

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Reacting to the controversy on Sunday via his official X handle, Fani-Kayode said he held the cleric in high regard but disagreed strongly with what he described as extremist rhetoric. “I have immense respect for Sheik Jingir but I am constrained to point out that the extremist rhetoric he has indulged in here is most unhelpful and neither is it true. Worse of all is the fact that it is highly provocative. Kindly take note that it is a very slippery and dangerous slope to take and is best avoided,” Fani-Kayode wrote. The former Minister of Aviation stressed that Nigeria is neither a Muslim nor a Christian country, describing the nation as a secular and multi-religious state comprising both Christians and Muslims in equal numbers. “Nigeria is NOT a Muslim country and neither is she a Christian country. She is a SECULAR and MULTI-RELIGIOUS state comprising of BOTH Christians and Muslims in equal numbers and that is our strength,” he said.

Fani-Kayode warned that Jingir’s remarks could provide ammunition for the opposition and undermine the chances of APC candidates seeking support from both Christian and Muslim voters in the 2027 presidential election. According to Fani-Kayode, he received more than 100 calls and messages from concerned Christians and Muslims following the publication of Jingir’s comments. He also criticised the Kano State Governor for allegedly cheering and celebrating the cleric’s remarks, describing this development as particularly troubling. “There is only one thing worse and that saddened me more than what he said and that is to have seen my friend and brother, the Governor of Kano State, cheering him on and celebrating it,” he said. “You do not talk like that in a country with over 120 million Christians. This is especially so when we are already being falsely accused of Christian genocide and of harbouring an agenda to Islamise the country and do away with all Christians by some of our American friends,” Fani-Kayode stated. He argued that Jingir’s remarks could reinforce such perceptions and ultimately hurt the electoral prospects of the ruling party. “Jingir is not only feeding into that false narrative with his reckless words, but he is also endangering the chances of our candidates in the 2027 presidential election because in order for us to win, we need BOTH Muslim AND Christian votes. What he has done is given the opposition something to hold on to and use against us and this is unfortunate,” he said. He stressed that Jingir does not represent the feelings of the APC or the views of the majority of Nigerian Muslims. “Jingir does not represent the feelings of the APC and neither does he speak for us. He only speaks for himself,” Fani-Kayode added.

Despite his criticism of Jingir, Fani-Kayode clarified that his own support for a Muslim-Muslim ticket for 2027 was not based on religious considerations but on the qualities and capacity of the candidates. “We are supporting a Muslim/Muslim ticket for 2027, as we did in 2023, only because of the calibre, ability, sincerity of purpose, character, utility and electoral strength of our Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates and their ability to deliver and not because they are Muslims,” he explained. He added that Nigeria could also have a Christian-Christian ticket in the future, stressing that political discussions should focus on policies, issues, and the competence of candidates rather than religious identity. “We must leave religion out of politics and consider issues, policies and personalities instead,” he said. Fani-Kayode urged Jingir to apologise to Christians and Nigerians generally and to embrace what he described as “the path of peace, civility and reconciliation” in the interest of the country. He also called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to invite and caution the cleric over his comments, warning against rhetoric that could heighten religious tension. “We will not keep quiet and watch our faith being dragged all over the floor because of politics. Matters of faith and salvation are far more important than anything we see or get in this world. Politics and earthly power come and go but faith and the afterlife is eternal. This divisive rhetoric has to stop and we should stop playing with fire,” he said.

The controversy has also drawn reactions from other prominent Nigerians. Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, condemned Jingir’s comments, warning that Nigeria risks sliding into what he called “a dangerous form of religious majoritarianism” if political leadership becomes a contest over which faith has more followers. Dalung questioned the wisdom of reducing Nigeria’s complex political and socioeconomic problems to a religious headcount and rejected the suggestion that religious identity should determine who deserves political power. Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju also condemned the remarks, warning that religious rhetoric targeting Christians and other faith groups could deepen Nigeria’s existing divisions and threaten national unity. Adeyanju questioned whether the Muslim-Muslim ticket had translated into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians, arguing that political leadership should be assessed based on performance rather than religious identity. “Has the Muslim-Muslim ticket put food on the tables of Nigerians, solved insecurity, unemployment, inflation, or strengthened the Nigerian passport and Nigeria’s standing in the world?” he asked.

Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Fani-Kayode Rejects Cleric’s Claim Nigeria Belongs to Muslims