Islamic cleric and leader of the Izala Scholars Council, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, has defended his support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, saying he has no regrets despite the backlash his position has generated.
Jingir, who spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa monitored by our correspondent on Wednesday, said his position was not aimed at campaigning for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or any political party.
The cleric explained that his support was rooted in his religious convictions and his understanding of his responsibility as a Muslim.
He vowed to continue advocating support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, regardless of opposition to his position.
“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.
Jingir had declared his support for the arrangement while speaking at a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples.
During the event, he urged Muslims to use their numerical strength to influence political outcomes by voting in support of candidates who represented their interests.
He said his decision to endorse the Muslim-Muslim arrangement followed President Tinubu’s adoption of the political formula, stressing that he was entitled to express his position as a Muslim preacher.
According to him, his advocacy should not be interpreted as a political campaign for the President, but as an expression of his religious perspective on leadership and political representation.
The cleric also disputed claims that Christians outnumber Muslims in Nigeria, challenging those who make such assertions to substantiate them.
His remarks have triggered fresh debate over the role of religion in Nigeria’s politics, particularly as political parties and politicians begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While some critics have described Jingir’s position as divisive and potentially capable of deepening religious tensions, others have argued that he has the right to express his political and religious convictions.
A political analyst said the cleric’s position could resonate with Muslim voters who supported the Muslim-Muslim ticket during the 2023 presidential election and potentially strengthen support for the arrangement ahead of 2027.
The analyst, however, cautioned that an increasingly religiously framed political campaign could also prove counterproductive by alienating Christian and other non-Muslim voters who supported Tinubu in the last election.
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