Nigeria's ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has lamented that Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State was seated and cheering on when Islamic cleric Sheikh Jingir stated that Nigeria is a Muslim country.

Jingir made the statement at a public gathering which had political think-tanks from Northern Nigeria in attendance.

He said, "Here, I urge you to prepare your votes. Let us show the world that the infidels are lying that they outnumber us. Show the infidels their limit. Nigeria is a Muslim country, and if you don’t suit a Muslim-Muslim ticket, you should leave Nigeria, because it belongs to us. If not, because of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, the Christians in Nigeria will think they are more than us. This is why we must make sure the Muslim-Muslim ticket continues to succeed, so our dominance will remain sustained."

Reacting to the statement, Fani-Kayode said that Jingir is not only feeding into that false narrative with his reckless words, but he is also endangering the chances of our candidates in the 2027 presidential election.

He said on social media, "I received over 100 frantic calls and messages of deep concern from both Christians and Muslims over the weekend after Sheikh Yahaya Jingir's comments at a Kano event were made public.

"There is only one thing worse, and that saddened me more than what he said, and that is to have seen my friend and brother, the Governor of Kano State, cheering him on and celebrating it.

"We will not keep quiet and watch our faith being dragged all over the floor because of politics.

"Matters of faith and salvation are far more important than anything we see or get in this world.

"Politics and earthly power come and go, but faith and the afterlife are eternal.

"This divisive rhetoric has to stop, and we should stop playing with fire.

"You do not talk like that in a country with over 120 million Christians and over 120 million Muslims all living in the same space, and if you insist on doing so, you are looking for trouble and stoking a cataclysmic crisis which nobody wants, which will consume us all and which we must avoid at all costs.

"This is especially so when we are already being falsely accused of Christian genocide and of harbouring an agenda to Islamise the country and do away with all Christians by some of our American friends.

"Jingir is not only feeding into that false narrative with his reckless words, but he is also endangering the chances of our candidates in the 2027 presidential election because in order for us to win, we need BOTH Muslim AND Christian votes."

ASA