Islamic cleric and leader of the Izala Scholars Council, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, has said he has no regret over his recent declaration of support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, despite criticisms of the statement.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, Jingir said his position was not politically motivated or intended as a campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He described it as a responsibility arising from his role as a Muslim. He stated that he would continue to support and encourage Muslims to back a Muslim-Muslim ticket regardless of the criticism it attracts.
“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 had earlier made the declaration during a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples, urging Muslims to vote in a manner that would demonstrate their numerical strength. He said he decided to support the arrangement after President Tinubu “raised the flag” of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, and that as a Muslim preacher he had the right to advocate a political arrangement consistent with his religious convictions.
Jingir also challenged claims that Christians or other religious groups constitute a larger population than Muslims in Nigeria. The remarks have generated mixed reactions. Some commentators described them as divisive; others defended his right to express religious and political views. A political analyst suggested the comments could reinforce support among Muslim voters who backed the arrangement in 2023, while warning that they could alienate some non-Muslim voters who previously supported the President.
The statement keeps a sensitive question in public view ahead of 2027: the relationship between religious identity and presidential ticket composition. Jingir frames his stance as religious duty rather than partisan campaigning. Whether that distinction is accepted will shape how the remarks are received across different constituencies.
