Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), has condemned controversial remarks attributed to Islamic cleric **Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, warning that the preacher’s rhetoric could inflame religious tensions and damage the electoral prospects of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 elections.
Fani-Kayode, a prominent supporter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said he was particularly disturbed by Jingir’s reported call on Muslims to “show the infidels their limit” and his assertion that Nigeria is a Muslim country.
He also expressed disappointment that the **Kano State governor was present and cheering during the event**, describing the development as more troubling than Jingir’s comments themselves.
Fani-Kayode said the remarks had triggered more than 100 calls and messages from concerned Christians and Muslims, arguing that the rhetoric was capable of deepening religious divisions in an already fragile country.
He warned that politicians and religious leaders must stop “playing with fire”, insisting that Nigeria’s diversity requires restraint, mutual respect and responsible public discourse.
According to him, Nigeria cannot afford inflammatory religious rhetoric in a country comprising large Christian and Muslim populations living side by side.
### **‘Jingir is handing opposition ammunition’
Fani-Kayode said Jingir’s comments could have serious political consequences for the APC in 2027, particularly because the ruling party would need votes from both Christians and Muslims to retain power.
He argued that describing Christians as “infidels” could alienate Christian voters and provide opposition parties with powerful ammunition against the APC.
“Jingir is not only feeding into that false narrative with his reckless words but he is also endangering the chances of our candidates in the 2027 presidential election because in order for us to win we need BOTH Muslim AND Christian votes,” Fani-Kayode said.
He stressed that the APC’s support for the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket should not be interpreted as an attempt to advance one religion over another.
Fani-Kayode said the ticket was supported because of the perceived “calibre, ability, sincerity of purpose, character, utility and electoral strength” of the candidates rather than their religious identities.
He added that Nigeria could one day produce a Christian-Christian ticket, arguing that political parties should focus on competence, policies, character and electoral strength rather than religion.
Rejecting Jingir’s assertion that Nigeria is a Muslim country, Fani-Kayode declared that Nigeria is neither a Muslim nor Christian state but a secular, multi-religious country.
He also rejected the cleric’s description of Christians as “infidels”, insisting that Christians should be treated as believers whose faith deserves the same respect accorded to Islam.
Fani-Kayode warned that Nigerians must not allow religious differences to become a weapon for political mobilisation.
“We must leave religion out of politics and consider issues, policies and personalities instead,” he said.
He further argued that Jingir did not represent the views of the majority of Nigerian Muslims but only those of a minority whose rhetoric, he claimed, could damage the country’s social cohesion.
Fani-Kayode called on Jingir to apologise to Christians and the Church in Nigeria, urging the cleric to exercise greater restraint in his public utterances.
He also called for the **Department of State Services (DSS)** to invite and formally caution the cleric, arguing that his rhetoric could inflame tensions if allowed to continue unchecked.
Fani-Kayode maintained that no Nigerian should be told to leave the country because of his or her faith.
“Nobody is going anywhere because this is our country,” he declared.
He warned that the path of religious exclusion was dangerous and could produce consequences that would affect Muslims and Christians alike.
The former minister said political power was temporary while faith and the afterlife were matters of enduring importance, urging religious leaders and politicians to avoid using religion as a tool for mobilisation.
“We are all one before God and we should live in peace with one another always showing each other love and respect which both the Koran and the Bible talks about,” he said.
Fani-Kayode also distanced the APC and its presidential leadership from Jingir’s comments, saying the cleric did not speak for the party or represent its position.
He suggested that the remarks had done “immense damage” to President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima ahead of 2027.
The intervention comes as political parties and their supporters increasingly position themselves for the 2027 presidential contest, with religious identity expected to remain a sensitive issue following the controversy that accompanied the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 election.
