Rev. Joseph John Hayab, chairman of the Northern Christian Association (NCA), has responded to comments made by Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, who defended the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in 2027 and referred to Christians as "infidels" during a gathering in Kano. The event, organised by Jama'atu Izalatil Bid'ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), was attended by Kano Governor Abba Yusuf and Jigawa Governor Umar Namadi, both of whom were seen smiling as Jingir spoke. In a media appearance on Channels Television's Morning Brief, Hayab said the remarks confirmed long-standing concerns among Northern Christians about religious marginalisation, which have often been dismissed in the past. He noted that the incident occurred in the presence of high-ranking political figures who did not rebuke the preacher, raising questions about official tolerance of such rhetoric.
Hayab stressed that the issue was not Muslims supporting Muslim candidates, but the use of derogatory language against fellow citizens during political discourse. He pointed out that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima won votes in Christian-majority states in 2023, countering claims that their victory was solely due to Muslim support. He challenged the governors present, the Federal Government, and political candidates backed by Jingir to publicly state their positions on the comments. The NCA chairman also renewed his call for the inclusion of religion in Nigeria's national census, arguing that accurate data could help resolve disputes over religious demographics. He warned that inflammatory religious language risks deepening national divisions, even as he affirmed Christians' commitment to continued dialogue with Muslims.
A religious leader's open use of dehumanising language, met with silence from governors, forces a reckoning on what tolerance permits in public discourse. When political figures neither correct nor distance themselves from such rhetoric, their inaction becomes part of the message. This moment reveals not just a religious divide, but a leadership failure to uphold civic respect in shared spaces.
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