- Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, chairman of the Ulama Council of ISWAS, addressed criticism over his call for a Muslim-Muslim presidential arrangement
- The cleric said his position on the Muslim-Muslim ticket long predates President Bola Tinubu’s administration, and he expected backlash
- Jingir’s comments have drawn reactions from prominent figures including Femi Fani-Kayode and Yunusa Tanko of the Obidient Movement
Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, Chairman of the Ulama Council of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’ikamatis Sunnah (ISWAS), has said he stands firmly behind his advocacy for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket and feels no regret over the position.
Jingir spoke in an interview with the BBC published on Wednesday, July 23, pushing back against criticism that followed remarks he made at a state-sponsored wedding reception in Kano, where the Kano State Government organised a ceremony for 1,500 couples it had sponsored.
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At the event, the cleric called for the continuation of a Muslim-Muslim presidential arrangement and urged Muslims to vote in a way that reflected their numerical strength in the country.
Jingir defends his stance
Responding to the backlash, Jingir clarified that his support for a same-faith ticket was never exclusive to President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima. He said he had held the position long before the current administration came to power and that any politician who understood what he described as the difficulties faced by Muslims in Nigeria would back his view.
The cleric also argued that Christians were within their rights to direct their followers on how to vote, and that he likewise had every right to counsel Muslims on the exercise of their franchise. He said he held evidence supporting his position and intended to keep speaking on the matter, adding that he had anticipated the criticism and was not troubled by it.
Jingir said his concern was defending what he considered good Muslim leadership, regardless of which individual held power at a given time.
Debate ahead of 2027 elections
Jingir was among the prominent Islamic scholars who backed Tinubu’s presidential campaign before the 2023 general election, after Tinubu chose Shettima, a fellow Muslim from Borno State, as his running mate. That election produced Nigeria’s first president and vice-president of the same faith since the country returned to democratic rule in 1999.
The Muslim-Muslim arrangement has continued to stir controversy as political activity builds ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Jingir’s latest comments have drawn responses from the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko, and Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode.
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Kwankwaso reacts to Sheikh Jingir’s claim
Legit.ng earlier reported that NDC vice-presidential candidate Kwankwaso spoke out against remarks made by Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir at a Kano government event over the weekend.
Jingir’s comments, which went viral, included claims that Nigeria is an Islamic state and that Christians carried out a Kano mosque bombing.
Kwankwaso linked the controversy to the 2027 elections, saying Nigerians would have a chance to judge the current administration at the ballot box.
Source: Legit.ng