Reactions are pouring in after an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, told those against the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket to leave Nigeria.
NewsBits reports that President Bola Tinubu’s choice of Kashima Shettima, a fellow Muslim, as a running mate in the 2023 presidential election generated angry reactions from Christians. It was a departure from the norm in the country, as presidential tickets always observed a mixed religion in Nigeria.
However, despite the protests, President Tinubu has again retained Shettima for the 2027 election. Islamic extremist scholar Jingir sees nothing wrong with it, as he declared that Nigeria is a Muslim country.
In a viral video, Jingir, who was preaching to Muslims at an event, said: “if you don’t want to accept a Muslim-Muslim ticket, you should leave Nigeria because it belongs to us”.
The comment has continued to generate backlash online as Christians rejected the claim. Reacting, Nigerian ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, rejected the claims that Nigeria is a Muslim country.
Fani-Kayode, in a statement posted on his official X handle on Sunday night, said the cleric’s remark is unhelpful and untrue. “Worse of all is the fact that it is highly provocative,” the former aviation minister said.
“Kindly take note that it is a very slippery and dangerous slope to take and is best avoided. Nigeria is NOT a Muslim country, and neither is she a Christian country. She is a SECULAR and MULTI-RELIGIOUS state comprising BOTH Christians and Muslims in equal numbers, and that is our strength,” FFK added.
He further stated that President Bola Tinubu’s Muslim/Muslim ticket for 2027 is gaining acceptance “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”.
“One day we may have a Christian/Christian ticket too because with God all things are possible,” he added.
