JOS — Controversy and public outrage have erupted following reported remarks attributed to prominent Jos-based Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, asserting that Nigeria belongs to Muslims and advocating for the sustained continuity of the ruling APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket to cement religious dominance.
In the contentious commentary circulating across digital media platforms, the National Chairman of the Council of Ulama of Jama’atu Izalatul Bid’ah Wa’Ikamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) allegedly declared that the Muslim-Muslim arrangement was essential to asserting majoritarian status over the country’s Christian population.
“If not because of Muslim/Muslim ticket, the Christian in Nigeria will think they are more than us,” the statement attributed to the cleric reads. “This is why we must make sure the Muslim/Muslim ticket continue to succeed so that our dominance will remain sustained.”
The remarks have drawn swift condemnation from civil society organizations, interfaith groups, and political commentators, who criticized the rhetoric as inflammatory, divisive, and inimical to national unity and religious harmony.
Critics argued that such sectarian posturing undermines the constitutional secularity of the Nigerian state and exacerbates ethno-religious fault lines in a country striving for social cohesion and political stability.
Interfaith advocates have called on religious leaders across all faiths to exercise restraint and focus on preachings that promote peace, mutual respect, and inclusive governance rather than sectarian supremacy.
