‎CAN to Jingir: Political Campaigning Shouldn’t Turn Into Religious Insults

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has reacted to controversial comments by Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir over the Muslim-Muslim political ticket, urging religious and political leaders to exercise moderation in public discourse.

Joseph Hayab, Chairman of CAN in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), made the call on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

‎Hayab was responding to a video circulating on social media in which Jingir reportedly said Nigerians who opposed a Muslim-Muslim ticket should leave the country, arguing that Nigeria belongs to Muslims.

‎The CAN leader said while religious leaders had made provocative statements in the past, the use of derogatory language, particularly the reference to non-Muslims as “infidels,” made Jingir’s comment more offensive.

‎According to Hayab, political advocacy should not degenerate into religious insults, stressing the need for dialogue and mutual respect among Nigerians of different faiths.

“We have always been tolerant of this, and I want to take us back. We have had the worst of these statements. But we have to be moderate. We have to be careful when we come to public space,” Hayab said.

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‎He added that Jingir’s statement would have been less provocative if it had focused solely on supporting Muslim candidates.

‎“Honestly speaking, if Jingir had said, ‘Look, let’s vote for our Muslim brothers to show we are strong,’ it wouldn’t have been offensive than adding the term ‘infidel’,” he said.

‎Hayab argued that the statement crossed the line from political campaigning into religious provocation when derogatory language was introduced.

‎“The moment he went out of just campaigning and insulting, then it turns the story different,” he said.

The CAN chairman, however, maintained that Christians in the region had endured similar provocative statements for years, saying the association was familiar with such rhetoric.

“But we are saying this as Christians that we’ve had this for a long time, we’ve suffered this for a long time, we are familiar with this for a long time,” Hayab said.

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‎He called for greater responsibility from religious and political actors, particularly when making statements capable of deepening religious or political divisions in the country.