Muslim-Muslim ticket: Lawyer warns cleric against fuelling religious tension

Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has condemned remarks by Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir that supported the continuation of Muslim-Muslim presidential tickets in Nigeria. Adeyanju warned that such religious rhetoric could deepen divisions and threaten national unity.

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I condemn the recent rhetoric of Sheikh Yahya Jingir as divisive and capable of fuelling religious tension. Nigeria is a plural society, and our Constitution recognises and protects that plurality. Religious leaders should respect Nigeria’s plurality and use their influence to promote peace and unity rather than sowing discord between Christians and Muslims.

In a statement, Adeyanju described Jingir's comments as divisive and capable of fueling religious tension. He emphasized that Nigeria is a pluralistic society with a constitution that recognizes and protects religious diversity. Adeyanju urged religious leaders to promote peace and unity instead of sowing discord between Christians and Muslims.

Adeyanju questioned the practical benefits of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, asking if it had improved the lives of Nigerians by addressing insecurity, unemployment, inflation, or strengthening the country's global standing. He stressed the need to evaluate leadership based on its impact on citizens' lives rather than religious affiliation.

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Has the Muslim-Muslim ticket put food on the tables of Nigerians, solved insecurity, unemployment, inflation, or strengthened the Nigerian passport and Nigeria’s standing in the world? We must look beyond religion and judge leadership by its impact on our lives as Nigerians.

"Any rhetoric that pits one faith against another is one that only deepens our divisions and fuels agitations across the country," Adeyanju stated. He called on clerics and politicians to stop provoking citizens and to respect Nigeria's diverse religions, cultures, and ethnicities.

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Any rhetoric that pits one faith against another is one that only deepens our divisions and fuels agitations across the country. Clerics and politicians must stop provoking law-abiding citizens and learn to respect our different religions, cultures and ethnicities. Nigeria belongs to all of us.

Jingir's remarks were made at an event attended by All Progressives Congress governors. He had previously praised President Bola Tinubu for adopting the Muslim-Muslim arrangement in the 2023 election, calling it a "purely Muslim-Muslim coalition." Jingir acknowledged opposition to the ticket but defended his advocacy, questioning if campaigning for it was inherently wrong and reiterating his strong support for the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

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Special thanks to my (political) hero, Bola Tinubu, who raised the flag of this political ideology, describing it as a purely Muslim-Muslim coalition.