By Abdullahi Sarki
Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and the FCT, Rev. John Hayab, has strongly criticized Islamic cleric Sheikh Sona Jingir for using the word “infidel” while urging support for Muslim‑Muslim tickets. Hayab said the remark was offensive and risked deepening religious divisions.
On Saturday, Jingir, in a video that went viral, encouraged Muslims to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and vote for Muslim‑Muslim tickets, claiming the move would prove to “the infidels” that Muslims were the majority.
Reacting during a Channels TV interview on Monday, Hayab said the cleric’s statement reflected long‑standing concerns among Christians in Northern Nigeria about intolerance and attempts at dominance. He noted the comment was made in the presence of three governors, who were seen laughing.
“The man did not say it in his room; he said it in the presence of three governors, and they were all smiling. This is an action that should have been rebuked instantly,” he said.
“Someone has the audacity to call me or every Christian an ‘infidel.’ I wonder what he has been teaching his people all these years. You can see he has been teaching them hate and dislike for Christians,” Hayab added.
He stressed that Christians would remain moderate despite provocations. “We have always been tolerant. We have gone through worse statements. We have to be moderate and careful in public spaces. Honestly, if Jingir said, ‘Let’s vote for our Muslim brothers to show we are strong,’ it would have been different, but adding ‘infidel’ makes it offensive,” he said.
Hayab urged government action against inflammatory rhetoric. “We must call out people like Jingir and the man in Kano who wants to sack every Christian. We must call them out so the government can act responsibly,” he said.
Also speaking on the programme, Prof. Ahmad Suleiman of the Ambassadors of Peace and Social Welfare Initiative condemned Jingir’s remarks but cautioned against generalizing them to all Muslims. “What he said is totally against Islamic teachings. The Quran does not like referring to the people of the book with insult; it describes that among Christians, you have very good people who are religious,” he said.
Suleiman emphasized that campaigns should focus on competence rather than religion. “Even if you want to campaign for a Muslim, campaign for him as a person, but do not campaign against a Christian. Christians and Muslims should not campaign against each other because of their religion. They should focus on qualities and actions,” he said.
He cited constitutional protections for religious freedom and urged Nigerians not to equate Jingir’s views with Islam. “Islam is not Jingir; he is just one person among hundreds of millions,” Suleiman said. He concluded by calling on leaders to prioritize governance and service delivery. “For every Jingir, there are ten responsible people who will talk responsibly. There are a lot of people like me. Don’t judge us by what a minority is doing,” he said.
