Joseph Hayab, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria for the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, has called for restraint and mutual respect in public discourse, particularly on matters involving religion and politics.
Hayab made the appeal on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief.” He was responding to a widely circulated video featuring Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir, who declared that Nigerians who reject a Muslim-Muslim political ticket should leave the country because “Nigeria belongs to them.”
The CAN leader acknowledged that inflammatory rhetoric from religious figures is not new, but said the use of the term “infidel” represents a dangerous escalation. “We have always been tolerant of this, and I want to take us back,” Hayab said. “We have had the worst of these statements. But we have to be moderate. We have to be careful when we come to public space.”
He drew a distinction between political advocacy and religious denigration. “Honestly speaking, if Jingir had said, ‘look, let’s vote for our Muslim brothers to show we are strong,’ it wouldn’t have been offensive like adding the term ‘infidel,'” Hayab said. “The moment he went out of just campaigning and insulting, then it turns the story different.”
Hayab emphasized that Christian communities in northern Nigeria have endured such rhetoric for years. “But we are saying this as Christians that we’ve had this for a long time, we’ve suffered this for a long time, we are familiar with this for a long time,” he said.
The cleric urged a return to honest dialogue involving open-minded leaders from both faiths. His remarks come amid heightened sensitivity over religious balancing in Nigerian politics, where the pairing of candidates from the same faith on major party tickets has repeatedly sparked controversy.
Observers say the exchange underscores the fragile state of interfaith relations in parts of the country, where political competition often overlaps with religious identity. Calls for moderation from established religious leaders like Hayab are seen as critical to preventing further polarization.
