Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The simmering religious tension in Nigeria erupted into open warfare on Monday, August 10, 2026, as Prophet Isa El-Buba, the General Overseer of El-Buba Outreach Ministries, launched a blistering attack on Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir, condemning his recent remarks urging Muslims to support Muslim-Muslim political tickets and referring to Christians as "infidels". In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, El-Buba, speaking with what he described as a "very serious, heavy heart," accused the cleric of promoting religious division at a time when northern Nigeria is grappling with insecurity, poverty, banditry, drug abuse, criminality and the displacement of communities. He questioned why a religious leader would use a political gathering to describe Christians as infidels, warning that such rhetoric could have serious consequences for national unity.
Jingir made the remarks at a campaign event organised in support of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and tagged "Abba Go Again," according to a video seen by SaharaReporters. The cleric acknowledged opposition to the Muslim-Muslim ticket from Christians and other religious groups but questioned whether his advocacy amounted to wrongdoing. He urged Muslims to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of future elections, while making remarks about those he described as "infidels" who claimed to be more populous than Muslims in Nigeria.
El-Buba, visibly angry, did not mince words. "But look at this bastard that calls himself a religious leader. These are the kind of people that I suppose that government should pick. But I can see the governor of Kano State," he said. "This is how insane all of you are in northern Nigeria. This is the way you think. People that are brainless". He warned Christians against supporting individuals whom he accused of promoting religious division. "Woe to any Christian that is going to align themselves with these evil, brainless people and creatures," El-Buba declared.
The Prophet specifically challenged the Kano State Government over the cleric's alleged remarks, calling on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to take immediate action. "And I want to say to all the Kano people, it's time that whatever is your name, the governor of Kano, it's time you throw that guy out of that seat. He doesn't deserve it," he said. "Look at it. I'm going to play the video. If a governor is sitting under such kind of evil hate speech and he's praising this wicked evil man called whatever your name is. Your cup is full".
El-Buba further invoked religious language to condemn the remarks, saying, "It will not be well with you. And God's word cannot be broken. It shall not be well with the wicked". "The person that doesn't have brain, we can't tolerate this kind of person in our society. You calling Christians infidels," he added. He concluded his remarks by again condemning the alleged reference to Christians as infidels. "Infidels, you mindless creature. It will not be well with you," he said.
El-Buba emphasised that he had personally supported thousands of Muslims across northern Nigeria despite having no family or personal relationship with many of them. "As of today, I have supported over 10,000 Muslims across northern Nigeria. They have no relationship with me at all, whether it is the school of their children, whether it is their housekeeping, it is home issues and all of that," he said. He disclosed that he had been working with Muslim partners on efforts aimed at addressing the Almajiri system in northern Nigeria, arguing that religious differences should not prevent Nigerians from collaborating to tackle problems affecting their communities.
The Prophet also drew attention to the movement of people from northern Nigeria to other parts of the country in search of livelihoods, while arguing that the widespread poverty and begging seen in northern communities should force leaders to reassess their priorities. "Go to southwest in Lagos and south east in Anambra. Northerners occupied there, all are beggars. Come to the north, you will see beggars occupied everywhere," he said. "Is that not enough to reason?" He further questioned whether a Muslim-Muslim political ticket would actually solve the problems confronting Nigerians, saying political leaders should be judged by their ability to improve the lives of citizens rather than by their religious identities. "But let me tell you, we are in north together, let's see if the Muslims-Muslims ticket will provide food for us or it will bring what we lack," he said. "Look at the situation that people are in, this is time for us to come together and reason together".
El-Buba also criticised the socioeconomic conditions in northern Nigeria, pointing to poverty, banditry, criminality and drug abuse as issues that should command the attention of religious and political leaders. "Northern Nigerian Muslims with the highest, you talk about the highest capital poverty of the world," he said. "Are you not ashamed? Are you not ashamed that banditry is here in the north? Criminality is here in the north. It is here in the north you have the highest level of drug addicts".
The Prophet also referred to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, saying the former governor was "learning his lesson in a bitter way". He commended the current Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, for what he described as recognising the need for balance and justice. El-Buba's condemnation of Jingir's remarks has been echoed by other prominent Nigerians. Femi Fani-Kayode, Nigeria's ambassador to South Africa, described Jingir's comments as "highly provocative" and warned against what he called extremist rhetoric. Former Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung condemned the comments as a distortion of democratic politics, warning that Nigeria risks sliding into what he called "a dangerous form of religious majoritarianism". The Christian Association of Nigeria has also urged religious and political leaders to exercise restraint in their public statements.
The controversy surrounding Jingir's remarks comes amid renewed political debate over religious balancing and the role of religious identity in Nigeria's politics ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Muslim-Muslim ticket, which saw President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, both Muslims, run on the same ticket in 2023, has become a flashpoint for religious tensions. Jingir's remarks—particularly his reference to Christians as "infidels" and his call to "show them their limit"—have raised concerns among observers about the potential for increased religious tensions in the run-up to the 2027 elections. As of the time of this report, the Kano State Government and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf's office had not issued any official response to Jingir's comments. With Nigeria already grappling with security challenges, economic hardship, and deepening social divisions, the cleric's words serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of the nation's religious coexistence and the high stakes of the coming electoral cycle.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments