Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahaya Jingir has urged Nigerian Muslims to sustain Muslim-Muslim political tickets, claiming the arrangement has helped demonstrate that Muslims outnumber Christians in Nigeria.
Jingir made the remarks on Sunday, August 9, 2026, at a campaign event for Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, tagged “Abba Go Again,” where he mobilised Muslims to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of future elections.
The cleric, who described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as his “political hero,” said he remained a strong advocate of Muslim-Muslim political tickets and urged Muslims to unite behind candidates running on the platform.
“Special thanks to my political hero, Bola Tinubu, who raised the flag of this political ideology, describing it as a purely Muslim-Muslim coalition,” Jingir said.
“I am among the staunch advocates of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, and I call on you to come together for Muslim-Muslim ticket,” he added.
Jingir argued that without the Muslim-Muslim ticket, Christians in Nigeria would believe they were more numerous than Muslims, insisting that the political arrangement must continue to preserve what he described as Muslim dominance.
“If not because of Muslim-Muslim ticket, the Christian in Nigeria will think they are more than us,” he said.
“This is why we must make sure the Muslim-Muslim ticket continues to succeed so that our dominance remains sustained.”
He also urged Muslims to obtain their PVCs and participate actively in elections, saying voting strength would determine which religious and political interests prevailed.
“I urge all of us here to go and get our voters’ cards ready. Let’s show the infidels their limit, who claim they are more populous than us in Nigeria. They are lying!” Jingir said.
The cleric dismissed concerns that his advocacy for Muslim-Muslim tickets could undermine Nigeria’s religious diversity, questioning whether those raising such objections were speaking on behalf of Christians and other non-Muslim citizens.
“Some would say ‘it’s a democracy and there are people who are not Muslims,’ are you their spokesperson?” he asked.
“But we pray and observe fasting, and it’s said that the majority carries the votes,” he added.
Jingir reiterated his support for the political arrangement, declaring, “As a Muslim, I repeat it, Muslim-Muslim! No going back on this.”
He also linked his advocacy to the electoral defeat of opponents of the Muslim-Muslim ticket in previous elections, claiming that his position contributed to their failure to secure a stronger position at the polls.
“If it wasn’t for my stance on a Muslim-Muslim ticket, somebody would have claimed they are more populous than us,” Jingir said.
He subsequently declared his support for Muslim-Muslim candidates and challenged his audience to do the same.
“Therefore my vote is for a Muslim-Muslim candidate! What about you, the Muslim umma?” he asked.
Jingir further made a controversial claim concerning the Maitatsine movement, alleging that those responsible for planting a bomb in a Kano mosque were “Christians in disguise.”
The Maitatsine movement was a radical Islamic movement that emerged in northern Nigeria decades ago and became associated with violent religious disturbances, particularly during the 1980s.
The cleric also praised what he described as a government committed to promoting family values, claiming that people were converting to Islam in the United States.
His remarks are likely to intensify debate over the place of religion in Nigeria’s electoral politics, particularly as political parties and aspirants begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The comments also underscore the increasingly contentious debate over Muslim-Muslim tickets, religious representation and political mobilisation in a country where both Muslims and Christians constitute major religious communities.
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