Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir: Kwankwaso Reacts to Remarks on Christians
- NDC vice presidential candidate Kwankwaso spoke out against remarks made by Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir at a Kano government event over the weekend
- Jingir's comments, which went viral, included claims that Nigeria is an Islamic state and that Christians carried out a Kano mosque bombing
- Kwankwaso linked the controversy to the 2027 elections, saying Nigerians would have a chance to judge the current administration at the ballot box
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Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has openly condemned remarks credited to Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, saying the comments were dangerous to national unity.
Kwankwaso made his position known in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Monday, July 28, 2026, saying he was deeply troubled by what Jingir allegedly said at a weekend event in Kano.
Source: Facebook
Jingir's comments came during an address at a mass wedding organised by the Kano state government. In a video that spread widely online, the cleric declared that Nigeria is an Islamic state, argued that the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket was a permanent reality, and alleged that Christians were responsible for a mosque bombing in Kano that killed several people. The remarks drew swift condemnation from both Christian and Muslim voices across the country, with many warning that the statements risked deepening religious tensions.
Kwankwaso distances Kano from Jingir's views
The former Kano state governor said Nigeria was at a critical point in its history and could not afford the kind of divisive language attributed to the cleric.
"At this critical moment in our nation's history, statements that promote division and disunity must be firmly discouraged," Kwankwaso said.
He expressed particular concern given Jingir's considerable influence as a religious figure, arguing that leaders of such standing carry a responsibility to promote cohesion rather than conflict. He was firm, however, that the views expressed did not reflect the position of Kano's residents.
Kwankwaso called on both political and religious figures to be more careful with their public statements, urging a commitment to truth, unity and reconciliation rather than utterances that could erode the country's foundation.
NDC candidate connects crisis to 2027 elections
Kwankwaso also used the moment to turn attention towards the 2027 general elections, saying the polls would give Nigerians a direct opportunity to evaluate the performance of those currently in power. He said the ballot box remained the proper channel for rewarding good governance and rejecting failure.
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Read the full statement of Kwankwaso on X below:
Ganduje speaks on Kwankwaso's claim
Legit.ng earlier reported that Abdullahi Ganduje, the former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), pushed back against a proposal by the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and 2027 vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, for Nigeria to open negotiations with bandits terrorising communities in the north-west.
Kwankwaso recently suggested that engaging armed groups through structured dialogue, involving the NDC, could offer a path toward reducing the violence that had claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands of residents across states like Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
