Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over what he described as the government’s silence on comments attributed to Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir.
Ayodele called on the government to take action against Jingir, warning that inflammatory religious statements could threaten peaceful coexistence and place Nigerian Christians at risk.
Jingir had reportedly stated in a video circulating on social media that anyone who rejected a Muslim Muslim ticket should leave Nigeria because the country belongs to Muslims. He also referred to Christians as “infidels.”
Reacting to the comments in a video shared on social media, Ayodele said the government should have intervened immediately and warned that continued silence could have serious consequences for national unity.
“If the government does not caution this, then Christianity is in trouble in Nigeria. This senseless old fool, Islamic cleric Jingir, should be in jail by now.
“If a Christian had made such a statement, they would have picked him up immediately,” Ayodele said.
The cleric urged the Tinubu administration to caution Jingir and other religious leaders against making statements capable of heightening religious tension across the country.
Ayodele further warned that failure to address inflammatory rhetoric could undermine peaceful coexistence and weaken efforts to promote national unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
