Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has challenged Plateau-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, over a viral video in which the cleric reportedly claimed that Muslims outnumber Christians in Nigeria.
Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, reacted to the controversy on Sunday through his verified X account.
The former minister described Jingir’s reported position as extremist rhetoric, arguing that such comments could further deepen religious divisions in the country.
While acknowledging his personal respect for the Islamic scholar, Fani-Kayode said the claim was not only unhelpful but also potentially dangerous.
He wrote: “The extremist rhetoric he has indulged in here is most unhelpful, and neither is it true.”
He added, “Kindly take note that it is a very slippery and dangerous slope to take and is best avoided.”
Fani-Kayode further rejected attempts to portray Nigeria as belonging exclusively to either Muslims or Christians, stressing that the country remains a multi-religious and secular state.
“Nigeria is NOT a Muslim country and neither is she a Christian country. She is a SECULAR and MULTI-RELIGIOUS state comprising of BOTH Christians and Muslims in equal numbers and that is our strength,” he stated.
The ambassador-designate also linked the controversy to the political debate ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly the issue of Muslim-Muslim presidential tickets.
Fani-Kayode said his support for a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2027 election was based on the competence, character and electoral strength of the candidates, rather than their religious identities.
“We are supporting a Muslim/Muslim ticket for 2027, as we did in 2023, only because of the calibre, ability, sincerity of purpose, character, utility and electoral strength of our presidential and vice presidential candidates and their ability to deliver and not because they are Muslims,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria could also witness a Christian-Christian presidential ticket in the future, adding that political leadership should not be determined solely by religious affiliation.
“One day we may have a Christian/Christian ticket too because with God all things are possible,” Fani-Kayode added.
He urged Nigerians not to allow religious differences to divide the country, insisting that citizens should place their Nigerian identity above religious affiliation.
“We must not allow this issue to divide our ranks,” he said, adding that Nigerians are NIGERIANS before being Christian or Muslim.
The latest exchange comes as political parties and influential figures begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with religion expected to remain a major issue in the political discourse.
Fani-Kayode’s intervention has therefore added a fresh dimension to the debate, particularly as the country continues to grapple with questions surrounding religious balance, political representation and national unity.
The controversy was triggered by a video of Jingir making the claim about the relative population of Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, which subsequently circulated widely on social media.
Fani-Kayode’s response has since drawn attention to the sensitivity of religious statistics and rhetoric in a country where both Christianity and Islam have significant followings.
