ABUJA — Chairman of the Northern Christian Association (NCA), Rev. Joseph Hayab, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima were not elected by Muslims alone in the 2023 presidential election, insisting that the outcome of the poll reflected support from Nigerians across religious lines.
Hayab made the remarks while reacting to comments by Islamic cleric, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, who recently defended the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Jingir had argued that Muslims should not apologise for supporting candidates who share their faith, citing the numerical strength and popularity of Muslims in the country.
In a video that has circulated widely on social media, the cleric described Christians as “infidels” and called on Muslims to unite and use their numerical strength to advance their political interests.
Reacting to the comments during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, Hayab questioned the suggestion that the Tinubu-Shettima ticket secured victory solely through Muslim votes.
“Will you tell me that the current Muslim-Muslim ticket that you claim to have put was only elected by Muslims? No, sir. I can count states that are mostly Christian. The man won in those states,” Hayab said.
The NCA chairman said Christians had expressed concerns about the Muslim-Muslim ticket before the 2023 election, not because they opposed Muslims participating in politics, but because they believed political representation should promote fairness and inclusiveness.
According to him, Christian leaders had consistently advocated understanding, balance and togetherness in accordance with the principles of the Nigerian Constitution.
“We only wanted understanding and togetherness, as enshrined in our Constitution,” he said.
Hayab strongly criticised Jingir’s description of Christians as “infidels”, describing the language as derogatory and inappropriate in a multi-religious country such as Nigeria.
He said political differences should not be used as a justification for insulting Nigerians on the basis of their religion.
“If you respect me, you do not come out publicly and make such a derogatory statement against me, against my faith, just for politics. It is no longer politics. It is the reality that has been going on on the ground,” Hayab said.
The NCA chairman further argued that the controversy had exposed concerns that many Christians in Northern Nigeria had raised over the years regarding alleged persecution, marginalisation and religious discrimination.
He said the situation was particularly disturbing because Jingir allegedly made the comments in the presence of political leaders who did not publicly condemn the remarks at the time.
According to Hayab, the reaction of those present had raised questions about the extent to which divisive religious rhetoric was being tolerated within political circles.
“There is always a day when you will no longer pretend. We have been living in pretence in Nigeria, lying to ourselves that we are together, lying to each other that there is unity and lying to each other that we are co-citizens,” he said.
Hayab added that Christian communities in the North had long been familiar with the views expressed by some religious preachers, but that such issues were often dismissed when raised publicly.
“But for us as Christians in the North, we know these preachers have always been there for all these decades. So, I think Sheikh Jingir just found an opportunity to open up what has been happening in secret,” he said.
He questioned why political leaders present at the gathering did not immediately distance themselves from the comments.
“The man did not just say it in his room. The man said it in the presence of three governors, and they were all smiling,” Hayab said.
He argued that statements capable of deepening religious divisions should ordinarily attract immediate condemnation from political and government leaders.
Hayab also linked the controversy to the broader debate over allegations of persecution and discrimination against Christians in Nigeria.
He said the latest comments had made it difficult for Nigerians to ignore concerns that had previously been dismissed as exaggerated.
“Some months ago, we had controversy in this Nigerian debate around whether Christian genocide is happening and whether Christians have been persecuted. Many people said, ‘No, that is not true.’
“Today, Nigerians do not need to ask another question unless you want to pretend. The pretence has ended. We can see it clearly. We can hear it clearly,” he said.
The NCA chairman challenged the governors who were present at the gathering, as well as the Federal Government and politicians reportedly being supported by Jingir, to publicly state their positions on his comments.
“We are waiting to see the reaction of those governors. Whatever stopped them from reacting that day is another different thing. We are going to see what they are going to say.
“Then, we will see the reaction of the Federal Government. We will see the reaction of those candidates whom the man is campaigning for, whether they like such,” he said.
Hayab stressed that the issue was not simply about Muslims supporting Muslim candidates, but about the use of inflammatory language against fellow citizens because of their religious beliefs.
He noted that Nigeria had witnessed political contests involving candidates of the same faith in the past without necessarily generating the same level of controversy.
According to him, the central concern should be the promotion of tolerance, equal citizenship and respect for Nigerians regardless of their religious affiliation.
Despite the controversy, Hayab said Christian leaders would continue to engage Muslims and other religious groups through dialogue.
“We will not stop the dialogue. We will talk with honest people and clerics. We will talk with people who understand things rightly,” he said.
He, however, called for public accountability from religious figures whose statements could aggravate existing tensions.
“But we should also call out people like Jingir and others. And when we call them out, government can now act responsibly and know that these people are creating bigger problems for us than uniting Nigeria,” he said.
“Nigeria needs unity. Nigeria needs togetherness.”
Hayab also renewed his call for religion to be included in Nigeria’s national census, arguing that credible demographic data could help reduce disputes over competing claims about the numerical strength of different religious groups.
He rejected suggestions that Christian leaders had failed to engage the government over issues affecting their communities.
According to him, Christian leaders regularly meet with political party leaders, government officials and security agencies to present their concerns, although some engagements are conducted privately to avoid escalating tensions.
The NCA chairman further expressed concern over what he described as a growing pattern of divisive religious rhetoric.
He cited another video in which a speaker reportedly declared that Christians would be removed from government and other sectors if he became governor of Katsina State.
Hayab said the emergence of such statements within a short period should concern Nigerians and urged authorities to respond decisively to rhetoric capable of worsening religious tensions.
He also criticised moves to restrict religious preaching, maintaining that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees citizens the right to practise and propagate their faith.
Hayab said political and religious leaders should instead focus their attention on the country’s pressing challenges, including insecurity, hunger and economic hardship.
“Nigerians are suffering from hunger. There is insecurity in Nigeria. Our people are not reminding themselves to do what is right to secure Nigeria and to contribute to nation building.
“Instead, they are busy coming up with divisive rhetoric, insulting fellow citizens and smiling while someone insults other citizens. It is a shame,” he concluded.
