Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has condemned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Sani Jingir, for saying he had no regrets over his recent comments about Christians and his advocacy for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
Fani-Kayode, in a post on his verified X account on Thursday night, described Jingir’s position as unfortunate, saying the cleric had brought “so much opprobrium” upon himself despite the reverence ordinarily associated with his religious calling.
Jingir, Chairman of the Ulama Council of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’ikamatis Sunnah, had said he had no regret over his long-standing advocacy for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket. His comments came amid criticism of remarks he made at a mass wedding ceremony in Kano, where he was accused of making disparaging comments about Christians.
The controversy has attracted reactions from several individuals and organisations, including the National Human Rights Commission, the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria.
Reacting to Jingir’s position, Fani-Kayode said he had respect for the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, for urging Christians and Muslims not to insult one another.
“Jingir has knuckled down by saying he has “no regrets” about his outrageous words against Christians. It really is unfortunate that a man that would ordinarily have attracted universal reverence due to his calling as a Man of God has degenerated to this level & brought so much opprobrium upon himself.
“I have respect & affection for the Sultan of Sokoto who urged Christians and Muslims not to insult one another. This was fatherly counsel from a revered leader,” he said.
Fani-Kayode also claimed that he had been in touch with four Northern Muslim governors, including one who attended the event in Kano, and that they were “ALL appalled with Jingir’s insults on Christianity.”
He said, “I am a Nigerian Christian & I deserve to be respected for who and what I am just as every Nigerian Muslim deserves to be respected for who & what he is as well.”
According to the former minister, he would remain restrained despite what he described as Jingir’s lack of contrition over his comments.
“It is in the light of this that I will be restrained with Sheik Jingir despite his lack of contrition for his offensive comments & in spite of the fact said he said had ‘no regrets’ for calling Christians infidels, for saying Christians must be put in their place, for saying our country is a Muslim country, for saying we are a minority & for telling us to leave our country if we are not comfortable with a Muslim Muslim ticket,” he said.
Fani-Kayode also rejected Jingir’s reported claim that the Maitatsine sect, which he described as a terrorist group responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in Kano in the 1980s, were “Christians in disguise”.
“He also claimed that the Maitatsine sect, a terrorist group that killed thousands of innocent men, women & children in Kano in the 1980’s, were ‘Christians in disguise!’ This is a lie from the pit of hell,” Fani-Kayode said.
The former minister said Christians who supported the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election did so on the basis of competence rather than an acceptance of religious subordination.
“When we, as Christians, supported a Muslim/Muslim ticket in 2023, we did not betray our faith or agree to subordinate it to any other, but we did so because we believed that competence & not religion ought to be the guiding factor in such matters,” he said.
Fani-Kayode said Jingir had misunderstood the position of Christians who supported the ticket, arguing that the two major religions should be treated equally.
“Jingir clearly misunderstood us & believed that supporting a Muslim-Muslim ticket meant that we accepted the notion that our faith is subservient to Islam. This is a fatal mistake. Our belief is that these two great faiths are on an equal footing & that neither is superior to the other,” he said.
He added, “We believe that religion is a matter of choice & that we have an obligation as Believers to respect one another & respect those choices.”
Fani-Kayode further said he would not allow his political affiliation or religious identity to make him subordinate to anyone.
“I cannot be Jingir’s footmat just because I am a Christian or because I am in APC,” he said.
The former minister argued that Jingir’s remarks had undermined rather than strengthened the Muslim-Muslim ticket he claimed to support.
“I speak for millions when I say with those few words spoken at that public event which was televised before millions of Nigerians & members of the international community, Jingir has done more harm to the Muslim/Muslim ticket that he claims to support than anything & anyone else,” he said.
Fani-Kayode also declared that he would not associate with anyone he believed promoted religious hatred.
“Outside of that, he will live to eat his words for referring to Christians as infidels. We are past that stage in this country and I for one can never share a platform, be in a party or have any form of fellowship with a misguided individual who claims to be a cleric but who preaches hate,” he said.
He warned against religious extremism and intolerance, saying such conduct could undermine peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims.
“We must not cross the red line of religious extremism or intolerance because it diminishes us all as God-fearing Christians and Muslims who both believe in one God,” Fani-Kayode said.
He said Christians were hurt by Jingir’s remarks and called for further intervention by Muslim leaders and the Federal Government.
“The Christians of Nigeria are hurt and offended by Jingir’s remarks, and though we are relieved that the Muslim community have stood with us on this, it cannot end there,” he said.
Fani-Kayode also called on the Sultan of Sokoto and President Bola Tinubu to caution the cleric.
“I call on His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto and the President of our beloved country, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to publicly caution him before it is too late,” he said.