Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, the Islamic cleric who described Nigeria Christians as infidels and declared support for a Muslim -Muslim ticket for next year’s presidential election says he has no regret.
Jingir made the remark on Monday at a political event organized by the Kano state government and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
The cleric had, however, received knocks for making the controversial remark, as both Christians and Muslims have condemned him, saying his comment is capable of sparking religious crisis in the country.
Some Nigerians, human rights bodies, including the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC have called for his arrest.
While condemning Jingir over the remark, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN said he should be called to order to save the country from clashes between the two major religious groups in the country.
Reacting to the backlash, the cleric said the criticism will not make him change his stance on the issue.
The Islamic cleric, who spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa monitored on Wednesday, said his declaration was not driven by partisan politics or an attempt to campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Rather, Jingir said his position was informed by what he described as his responsibility and convictions as a Muslim.
“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 said.
Jingir had sparked controversy during a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples, where he openly declared his support for the continuation of the Muslim-Muslim political arrangement.
He also urged Muslims to use their numerical strength at the polls to influence the outcome of elections.
According to the cleric, his decision to support the arrangement followed President Tinubu’s emergence on a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
He argued that his position was within his rights as an Islamic preacher, saying he could advocate a political arrangement that was consistent with his religious convictions.
Jingir also challenged claims that Christians or other religious groups constitute a larger proportion of Nigeria’s population than Muslims.
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