Jingir: I have no regret over Muslim-Muslim ticket support

Islamic cleric and leader of the Izala Scholars Council, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, has said he has no regret over his recent support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, despite criticism of the position.

 

Jingir stated this in an interview with BBC Hausa monitored by our correspondent on Wednesday, saying his position was not politically motivated or intended to campaign for President Bola Tinubu.

 

He said his stance was based on what he described as his responsibility as a Muslim, adding that he would continue to support and encourage Muslims to back a Muslim-Muslim ticket.

 

“I will continue to support and encourage the Muslim-Muslim ticket. What they say would not stop me. They started it; at a point, we suffered in their hands,” he alleged.

 

The cleric had, during a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples, declared his support for the Muslim-Muslim arrangement and urged Muslims to vote in a manner that would demonstrate their numerical strength in the country.

 

Jingir said he decided to support the arrangement after President Bola Tinubu “raised the flag” of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

 

He added that, as a Muslim preacher, he had the right to advocate a political arrangement that aligned with his religious convictions.

 

The cleric also challenged claims that Christians or other religious groups constituted a larger population than Muslims in Nigeria.

 

His remarks have continued to generate reactions, with some commentators describing them as divisive, while others defended his right to express his religious and political views.

 

A political analyst said the comments could strengthen support among Muslim voters who backed the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election ahead of the 2027 general election.