Jingir defends Muslim-Muslim ticket stand, says he has no regrets
Islamic cleric and leader of the Izala Scholars Council, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, has doubled down on his support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, insisting that criticism of his position will not make him back down.
Jingir, speaking in an interview with the BBC, said he had no regrets over his recent declaration and would continue to encourage Muslims to support a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
The cleric said his position was not politically motivated or intended as an endorsement of President Bola Tinubu, but was driven by what he described as his responsibility as a Muslim.
“I have no regrets. I will continue to support and encourage the Muslim-Muslim ticket. What they say will not stop me. They started it; at a point, we suffered in their hands,” he alleged.
Jingir had recently stirred controversy at a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples, where he openly backed the Muslim-Muslim arrangement and urged Muslims to vote in a manner that would demonstrate their numerical strength in Nigeria.
He also maintained that, as a Muslim preacher, he had the right to advocate a political arrangement consistent with his religious convictions.
The cleric further challenged claims that Christians or other religious groups constituted a larger proportion of Nigeria’s population than Muslims.
His comments, including his description of Christians as “infidels,” have continued to generate controversy, with critics accusing him of promoting religious division, while his supporters have defended his right to express his religious and political views.
Despite the backlash, Jingir has shown no sign of retreating from his position, maintaining that his advocacy for a Muslim-Muslim ticket is rooted in his religious convictions rather than partisan politics.
