Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has described comments by Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir in support of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in 2027 as “highly provocative”, warning that such rhetoric could deepen religious divisions in the country.
Jingir had, in a video circulating on social media, called on Muslims to support the continued adoption of Muslim-Muslim presidential tickets ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The cleric made the remarks at an event attended by some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, including Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf and Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi.
Jingir praised President Bola Tinubu for adopting the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election and declared himself a strong supporter of 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,” he said.
“I am among the staunch advocates of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, and I call on you to come together for a 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.
He also urged Muslims to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the election, while making remarks about those he described as “infidels” who claimed to be more populous than Muslims in Nigeria.
Jingir subsequently reiterated his support for Muslim-Muslim candidates and urged other Muslims to adopt the position.
Reacting to Sheikh Jingir’s comments on the Muslim-Muslim ticket in a post on X on Sunday, Fani-Kayode said he respected Jingir but disagreed with what he described as “extremist rhetoric”.
“I have immense respect for Sheikh 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,” Fani-Kayode wrote.
“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 maintained that Nigeria was neither a Muslim nor Christian country, describing it as a secular and multi-religious nation.
“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.
He clarified that his support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in 2027 was based on the qualities and capacity of the candidates rather than their religious identity.
“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 said.
Fani-Kayode said 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 not allow this issue to divide our ranks. We are NIGERIANS before being Christian or Muslim and we must not only stand as ONE but also go to the polls as ONE,” he added.
