…Says, “We suffered in their hands.”
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
An Islamic cleric and scholar living in Plateau State, who doubles as National Chairman Council of Ulama Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa’Ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) TV National Headquarters Jos, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, has asserted that he has no regret over his recent declaration of support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, despite criticisms trailing the statement.
Jingir spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa, monitored in Kaduna Wednesday, amid widespread criticism of his remarks.
“I will continue to support and encourage the Muslim-Muslim ticket. What they say would not stop me. They started it; at a point, we suffered in their hands,” he said.
The cleric clarified that his declaration was not aimed at campaigning for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said he decided to back the arrangement after the President “raised the flag” of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, adding that, as a Muslim preacher, he had the right to advocate for a political arrangement consistent with his religious convictions.
Jingir made the original declaration during a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples, where he urged Muslims to vote “in a way that would demonstrate their numerical strength.”
The cleric also challenged claims that Christians or, other religious groups, constitute a larger population than Muslims in Nigeria.
His comments have continued to generate reactions for also calling Christians “infidels,” as some commentators have described them as divisive, while others have defended his right to express his religious and political views.
A political analyst noted that the remarks could fuel support among Muslim voters, who backed the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election, ahead of the 2027 polls.