By Beatrice Gondyi
Former Kano State Governor and vice presidential candidate of the NDC, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has strongly condemned recent remarks made by Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, warning that such rhetoric threatens national unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kwankwaso’s rebuke follows a controversial address by the JIBWIS leader at a mass wedding ceremony organised by the Kano State Government, which was also attended by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and his Jigawa State counterpart, Umar Namadi.
In his address, Sheikh Jingir declared his unwavering support for the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, praising President Bola Tinubu for advancing the arrangement . The cleric explicitly stated: “My candidate is Bola Ahmad Bola Tinubu. The President selected a Muslim as his vice. I am one of those who called people to support the Muslim-Muslim ticket”.
However, it was his characterisation of non-Muslims that triggered widespread backlash. Jingir reportedly referred to Christians as “infidels” and urged his audience to “show the infidels their limit” at the polls.
He further argued that the Muslim-Muslim ticket proves Muslims outnumber Christians in Nigeria, declaring that those who do not accept the arrangement “should leave Nigeria because it belongs to us” .
The cleric also alleged that members of the radical Maitatsine movement were “Christians in disguise” while discussing an attack on a mosque in Kano.
In a statement issued on Monday, Kwankwaso expressed deep concern over the cleric’s comments, stating that “statements that promote division and disunity must be firmly discouraged” at this critical moment in the nation’s history.
He noted that it was “particularly troubling” to hear such rhetoric from a religious leader of Sheikh Jingir’s stature and influence, adding that “the good people of Kano do not endorse or support these divisive remarks”.
Kwankwaso further emphasized that political and religious leaders alike carry a “solemn responsibility to uphold truth, foster unity, and advance reconciliation.”
Kwankwaso joins a growing list of prominent Nigerians who have condemned Jingir’s remarks. Femi Fani-Kayode, Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to South Africa, described the comments as “highly provocative”.
Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju criticised the cleric, questioning whether the Muslim-Muslim ticket had put food on Nigerians’ tables .
Prophet Isa El-Buba, General Overseer of El-Buba Outreach Ministries, called Jingir a “mindless creature” and urged religious leaders to focus on addressing Nigeria’s challenges—insecurity, poverty, banditry, and drug abuse—rather than making divisive statements .
Rev. Joseph John Hayab, Chairman of the Northern Christian Association, said Jingir’s comments exposed decades of discrimination against Christians in Northern Nigeria and challenged Governors Yusuf and Namadi to publicly condemn the remarks.
Kwankwaso used the opportunity to frame the 2027 elections as an opportunity for Nigerians to “reward good governance with resounding support and to reject poor performance at the polls,” adding that the current administration “has earned the latter.”
He concluded his statement with prayers for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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