Tinubu, Shettima not elected by Muslims alone, Northern Christian chair slams cleric

Rev. Joseph Hayab, Chairman of the Northern Christian Association (NCA), has strongly refuted comments made by Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, who asserted that President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima were elected exclusively by Muslims in the 2023 general elections. Jingir had defended the ruling Muslim-Muslim ticket, arguing that Muslims should not apologize for supporting candidates of their faith due to their population and popularity. In a widely circulated video, Jingir reportedly referred to Christians as "infidels" and called for Muslim unity to leverage their numerical strength for political gain.

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Will you tell me that the current Muslim Muslim ticket that you claim to have put was only elected by Muslims? No, sir. I can count states that are mostly Christian. The man won in those states.

Speaking on Channels Television, Hayab deemed Jingir's remarks unacceptable. He pointed to the 2023 presidential election results, stating that the Tinubu-Shettima ticket garnered support from predominantly Christian states, directly contradicting the cleric's assertion. Hayab recalled that the Muslim-Muslim ticket had initially raised concerns among Christians, who had advised for a balance to ensure fairness. "We only wanted understanding and togetherness, as enshrined in our Constitution," Hayab stated.

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We only wanted understanding and togetherness, as enshrined in our Constitution.

Hayab also condemned Jingir's use of the term "infidels" to describe Christians, calling such language derogatory and inappropriate for addressing fellow Nigerians based on their faith. "If you respect me, you do not come out publicly and make such a derogatory statement against me, against my faith, just for politics," he said. He lamented that Jingir's comments exposed the experiences Christians in the North have faced for years, which have often been dismissed when concerns about persecution, marginalization, and religious dominance were raised.

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If you respect me, you do not come out publicly and make such a derogatory statement against me, against my faith, just for politics.

A particularly worrying aspect for Hayab was that Jingir made these inflammatory remarks in the presence of political leaders, including three governors, who were seen smiling and did not immediately reject or rebuke him. "Nigeria’s pretence over allegations of persecution and discrimination against Christians had finally come to an end," Hayab observed. He added, "There is always a day when you will no longer pretend. We have been living in pretence in Nigeria, lying to ourselves that we are together, lying to each other that there is unity and lying to each other that we are co-citizens. But for us as Christians in the North, we know these preachers have always been there for all these decades. So, I think Sheikh Jingir just found an opportunity to open up what has been happening in secret."

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Nigeria’s pretence over allegations of persecution and discrimination against Christians had finally come to an end.