Islamic cleric and leader of Izala Scholars Council, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir has defended his long-standing support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket comments and description of Christians as “infidels” saying he has no regrets over his position.
Jingir, who has faced criticism over his recent comments on religion and politics, maintained that his advocacy for Muslim-Muslim ticket remains unchanged.
Speaking in an interview with BBC, Jingir said he had no regrets over his rent declaration of support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, despite the criticism trailing the statement.
“I have no regrets. I will continue to support and encourage the Muslim-Muslim ticket. What they say will will not stop me. They started it at a point, we suffered in their hands”, he alleged.
He insisted that his campaign was not for political figure but for his faith.
According to the Islamic cleric, his position was not politically motivated or intended to campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but was based on what he described as his responsibility as a Muslim.
“I am no campaigning for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I am campaigning for my religion. As I have stated before my advocacy for a Muslim -Muslim leadership structure is not about Tinubu or Muhammadu Buhari, it is strictly for the sake of Allah”, he said.
Jingir argued that political participation is a religious obligation for Muslims and that clerics have a duty to educate their followers on issues affecting their faith and society. He rejected claims that his comments were inflammatory.
“My words carry no harm. I explicitly stated that people are free to vote for whoever they want, while I will personally do what aligns with my beliefs. There is absolutely nothing harsh or inciting about that statement”, he said.
He added that his appeal was for Muslims to support a righteous and better Muslim”, stressing that Islam forbids corruption and other forms of wrongdoing.
The cleric challenged claims that Christians or other religious groups constituted a larger proportion of Nigeria’s population than Muslims.
Jingir also claimed to enjoy overwhelming support from the Muslim community.
“I swear that I have received immense support from the Muslim community. A vast majority of Muslims agree with this stance”, he said, pointing to reaction of crowd during his address in Kano.
The cleric also dismissed calls for his arrest, saying criticism was largely coming from Christians who disagreed with his religious position.
He said he would continue to support and encourage Muslims to back a Muslim-Muslim ticket, regardless of the criticism his position might attract.
9News Nigeria recalls that Jingir, during a mass wedding organized by Kano State Government for 1,500 couples urged Muslims to vote in a way that reflects their numerical strength in Nigeria, reviving a debate over religious balancing in presidential elections.
Nigeria has traditionally maintained an informal arrangement of pairing a Muslim with a Christian on presidential tickets.
The convention was broken in 2023 when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu selected Kashim Shettima, also a Muslim, as his running mate, producing the country’s first Muslim-Muslim ticket since the 1993 election involving MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe.
Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Tinubu has again picked Shettima to run the race with him, sparking fresh debate.
Jingir remarks have continued to generate widespread criticism from political leaders, rights groups and sections of the public, with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) describing his comments as hate speech and calling for his arrest and prosecution, and some commentators describing them as divisive, while others have defended his right to express his religious and political views.
-9News Nigeria.
