Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu for remaining silent over controversial remarks made by Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir. Ayodele demanded the cleric’s immediate arrest, warning that the government’s inaction places Christians in Nigeria at risk.
According to reports by the Media Talk Africa, Jingir stated in a widely circulated video that Nigerians who reject a Muslim-Muslim political ticket should leave the country, asserting that Nigeria belongs to Muslims. The cleric reportedly referred to Christians as “infidels,” sparking widespread condemnation.
Reacting to the footage, Primate Ayodele argued that the authorities would have acted swiftly if a Christian leader had made similar statements. “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,” Ayodele said. “If a Christian had made such a statement, they would have picked him up immediately.”
The cleric urged the Tinubu administration to issue a formal warning to Jingir and other religious figures against the use of inflammatory rhetoric. He cautioned that failure to address such statements could further erode peaceful coexistence and threaten national unity. Ayodele’s comments highlight growing concerns over religious sensitivity and the perceived unequal application of security measures in the country.