Adeyanju Blasts Sheikh Jingir as Cleric’s ‘Infidels’ Remark Triggers Fresh Religious Tension

• Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has condemned remarks attributed to Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir at a political gathering in Kano.

• Jingir urged Muslims to support Muslim-Muslim political tickets and was quoted as referring to non-Muslims as “infidels”.

• Adeyanju warned that rhetoric targeting religious groups could intensify Nigeria’s existing divisions and threaten national unity.

• He also questioned whether the Muslim-Muslim ticket had delivered meaningful improvements in security, employment, inflation and living standards.

August 10, () — Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has condemned remarks attributed to Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir at a political gathering in Kano, warning that religious rhetoric targeting Christians and other faith groups could deepen Nigeria’s existing divisions.

Adeyanju’s reaction followed comments by Jingir at a campaign event for Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, where the cleric urged Muslims to support Muslim-Muslim political tickets in future elections and praised President Bola Tinubu for advancing the arrangement.

“Special thanks to my political hero, Bola Tinubu who raised the flag of this political ideology, describing it as a purely Muslim-Muslim coalition,” Jingir said.

“I am among the staunch advocates of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, and I call on you to come together for Muslim-Muslim ticket,” he added.

Jingir also urged Muslims to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of future elections. During the address, he was quoted as referring to non-Muslims as “infidels” and calling on his audience to “show the infidels their limit” at the polls.

He also alleged that members of the Maitatsine movement were “Christians in disguise” while discussing an attack on a mosque in Kano. The Maitatsine movement was a radical Islamic movement that emerged in northern Nigeria and was linked to violent religious disturbances, particularly during the 1980s.

Reacting to the remarks, Adeyanju said Nigeria’s religious diversity should be recognised and protected by political and religious leaders.

“I condemn the recent rhetoric of Sheikh Yahya Jingir and describe same as divisive and capable of fuelling religious tension in our beloved nation,” Adeyanju said in a statement on Sunday.

“Nigeria is a plural society, and our Constitution recognises and protects that plurality. Religious leaders should respect Nigeria’s plurality and use their influence to promote peace and unity rather than sowing discord between Christians and Muslims,” he added.

Adeyanju also questioned whether religious identity should be the principal measure for evaluating political leadership, particularly amid Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.

“Has the Muslim-Muslim ticket put food on the tables of Nigerians, solved insecurity, unemployment, inflation, or strengthened the Nigerian passport and Nigeria’s standing in the world?” he asked.

“We must look beyond religion and judge leadership by its impact on our lives as Nigerians,” he said.

The activist warned that inflammatory religious rhetoric could exacerbate existing grievances and contribute to wider social and political tensions.

“Any rhetoric that pits one faith against another is one that only deepens our divisions and fuels agitations across the country,” Adeyanju said.

He urged politicians and religious leaders to avoid rhetoric that could inflame tensions among Nigeria’s diverse religious, ethnic and cultural communities.

“Clerics and politicians must stop provoking law-abiding citizens and learn to respect our different religions, cultures and ethnicities. Nigeria belongs to all of us,” he said.