Islamic cleric Jingir defends Muslim-Muslim ticket stance amid backlash

Islamic cleric and leader of the Izala Scholars Council, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, has remained unapologetic over his support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Jingir, who spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, said his position was not politically motivated or intended to campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but was based on what he described as his responsibility as a Muslim.

The cleric said he would continue to support and encourage Muslims to back a Muslim-Muslim ticket, regardless of the criticism his position might attract.

He said: “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.

Jingir 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.

He reportedly urged Muslims to mobilise politically and use their voter cards to “show the infidels their limit”.

Despite the backlash, Jingir said he had no regrets over his remarks and would not be deterred from advocating the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

He said his decision to support the arrangement followed President Tinubu’s decision to “raise the flag” of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

The cleric maintained that, as a Muslim preacher, he had the right to advocate a political arrangement consistent with his religious convictions, insisting that “politics is guided and shaped by the principles of Islam.”

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

A political analyst said the cleric’s position could strengthen support among Muslim voters who backed the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election ahead of 2027.

The analyst, however, warned that the stance could also alienate some non-Muslim voters who previously supported President Tinubu.