Fani-Kayode Condemns Cleric’s Muslim-Muslim Ticket Campaign as ‘Highly Provocative’

Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has criticised Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir over his renewed call for Nigerians to support a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Jingir made the call at a political gathering attended by several All Progressives Congress governors, including Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf and Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi.

The cleric praised President Bola Tinubu for adopting a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election and urged Muslims to maintain their support for the arrangement in 2027.

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

He also encouraged those present to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and participate actively in the 2027 elections.

Jingir maintained that his support for a Muslim-Muslim ticket was not wrong, despite opposition from Christians and members of other religious groups. He argued that Nigeria’s democracy allows citizens to campaign for candidates based on their religious convictions.

However, Fani-Kayode described some of the cleric’s remarks as “highly provocative” and warned that such rhetoric could deepen religious divisions in the country.

Fani-Kayode said Nigeria is neither a Muslim nor a Christian country but a secular and multi-religious nation comprising people of different faiths.

He explained that his own support for a Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027 would be based on the competence, character, sincerity, political strength and ability of the candidates to govern effectively—not simply because they are Muslims.

According to him, Nigerians should not allow religion to become a source of division during the 2027 election.

He stressed that Nigerians should place national unity, policies, competence and the character of political candidates above religious identity.

The controversy has generated mixed reactions on social media, with some Nigerians describing Jingir’s comments as divisive, while others argued that every Nigerian, regardless of religion, has the constitutional right to seek political office.

The debate over the Muslim-Muslim ticket is expected to remain a major political issue as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections.

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