Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has urged the Federal Government to address controversial remarks allegedly made by Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, warning that inflammatory religious statements could endanger peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.
Ayodele criticised the government over its alleged failure to respond to a video circulating on social media in which Jingir reportedly spoke about opposition to a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
In the video, Jingir was also alleged to have described Christians as “infidels” and told those opposed to a Muslim-Muslim ticket to leave Nigeria.
Reacting in a video shared by Tunde Ednut, Ayodele called on the government to investigate the remarks and take appropriate action if they were found to violate the law or promote religious intolerance.
He questioned whether authorities would have shown the same level of restraint if similar comments had been made by a Christian cleric.
“If the government does not caution this, then Christianity is in trouble in Nigeria,” Ayodele said, while calling for action against Jingir.
The cleric urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to caution religious leaders against rhetoric capable of deepening religious divisions or provoking tension among citizens.
Ayodele warned that failure to address inflammatory statements could undermine national unity and peaceful coexistence.
He also called on religious leaders across the country to promote tolerance, mutual respect and peaceful dialogue rather than make statements that could heighten tensions between Nigeria’s Christian and Muslim communities.
