By Titilope O. Abioje
Ambassador designate to South Africa and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has condemned remarks attributed to Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, advocating the sustenance of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket and describing Nigeria as a Muslim country.
Fani-Kayode, who took to his Facebook page to disclose this on Monday (today), said he received over 100 calls and messages from concerned Christians and Muslims following the cleric’s comments, warned that such rhetoric could deepen religious tensions and undermine the electoral prospects of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Jingir had reportedly urged Muslims to “prepare their votes” and demonstrate that Muslims constitute the dominant population in Nigeria, while insisting that those unwilling to accept a Muslim-Muslim ticket should leave the country.
Reacting in a statement, Fani-Kayode said he was particularly saddened by the reported reaction of the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf,
who he alleged had cheered and celebrated the cleric’s remarks.
“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,” Fani-Kayode said.
The former minister stressed that matters of faith and salvation were more important than political power, urging political and religious leaders to avoid statements capable of inflaming religious sentiments.
“We will not keep quiet and watch our faith being dragged all over the floor because of politics,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria, with its large Christian and Muslim populations, cannot afford divisive religious rhetoric.
“You do not talk like that in a country with over 120 million Christians and over 120 million Muslims all living in the same space,” he stated, warning that such comments could “stoke a cataclysmic crisis which nobody wants.”
Fani-Kayode further argued that Jingir’s comments could negatively affect the APC’s chances in the 2027 presidential election because the party would require support from both Christians and Muslims to win.
“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,” he said.
He maintained that the APC’s support for the Muslim-Muslim ticket was based on the competence, character, electoral strength and capacity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, rather than their religious identities.
“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.
Fani-Kayode also rejected the description of Christians as “infidels”, insisting that Christians are believers and that no Nigerian should be asked to leave the country because of his or her faith.
He declared: “Nigeria is NOT a Muslim country and neither is she a Christian country. Nigeria is a SECULAR and MULTI-RELIGIOUS state comprising of BOTH Christians and Muslims in equal numbers and that is our strength.”
He urged Nigerians to keep religion out of partisan politics and concentrate on issues, policies, competence and the character of political candidates.
Fani-Kayode also argued that Nigeria could have a Christian-Christian presidential ticket in the future, saying that “with God all things are possible.”
While distancing the APC from Jingir’s comments, he said the cleric “does NOT represent the feelings of the APC and neither does he speak for us. He only speaks for himself.”
He further urged the Sheikh to apologise to Christians and to exercise greater restraint in his public pronouncements.
Fani-Kayode also called for Jingir to be invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) and formally cautioned, arguing that the cleric’s comments were capable of inflaming religious tensions.
He said: “The extremist rhetoric that he is indulging in is not only unhelpful but is also unacceptable.”
Fani-Kayode concluded by urging Jingir to “tread on the path of peace, civility and reconciliation” in the interest of national unity, warning that religious divisions could have consequences far beyond the political calculations of the 2027 elections.