Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The simmering religious tension in Nigeria erupted into open confrontation on Sunday, August 16, 2026, as the Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dr Paul Enenche, launched a fierce counterattack against Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir, challenging the Federal Government to conduct a credible national census to determine once and for all which religion has the larger following in the country. Enenche's call came in direct response to Jingir's controversial remarks at a political gathering in Kano, where the JIBWIS leader had urged Muslims to support Muslim-Muslim tickets, referred to Christians as "infidels," and claimed that Muslims outnumber Christians in Nigeria. The pastor, speaking during a Sunday service at the church's headquarters in Abuja, did not hold back, describing Jingir's comments as the words of "an insane man" and demanding that those who claim numerical superiority back their assertions with verifiable data.
The war of words has its roots in Jingir's address at a campaign event tagged "Abba Go Again," organised in support of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. In that sermon, Jingir declared himself a "staunch advocate" of Muslim-Muslim tickets and insisted there would be "no going back" on his position, while also telling his followers to "show the infidels their limit" and claiming that Christians were lying about their population. The video of his remarks quickly went viral, drawing widespread condemnation from Christian leaders and civil society groups, with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) both issuing strong rebukes .
Enenche, who has emerged as one of the most vocal Christian leaders in the ongoing religious debate, used his platform to question the logic behind Jingir's claims. "If you think you are superior, why didn't you people allow for the census all these while?" he asked, his voice rising with indignation . The pastor urged the Federal Government to conduct a "credible census" in which Nigerians would be free to state their religious beliefs. "Let everybody tell you what they believe in, then you will be shocked that where you think you come from, there are Christians almost dominating in that place," he declared .
Enenche's challenge strikes at the heart of a long-standing and deeply sensitive issue in Nigerian public life: the absence of official, reliable data on the religious composition of the country. Nigeria's last full population census was conducted in 2006, when the population was put at about 140 million. Since then, successive governments have failed to conduct a new census, despite the obvious need for accurate demographic data to guide planning and resource allocation . The absence of current official figures has left the door wide open for competing claims by religious groups, with both Muslims and Christians frequently asserting numerical superiority without any verifiable basis .
The pastor did not stop at demanding a census. He issued a stark warning to those who, in his view, were taking Christians and the church for granted. "Nobody should take Christian in this country for granted. Don't take the church in Nigeria for granted. This is a warning to all of you who think that the church can be taken for granted," Enenche declared . He also criticised security agencies for allowing what he described as inflammatory statements capable of triggering violence, calling for those who make reckless comments to be "quarantined" .
Jingir's original remarks were made in the context of a growing push by some Muslim clerics for the continuation of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2027 elections, a move that breaks with Nigeria's long-standing tradition of balancing the presidential ticket between Christians and Muslims. The debate has exposed deep religious fault lines, with some Christian leaders warning that the country risks sliding into what they have called "a dangerous form of religious majoritarianism" if political leadership becomes a contest over which faith has more followers .
Enenche's demand for a census has been echoed by other Christian leaders and civil society groups, who argue that it is time to move beyond speculation and base the debate on facts. The pastor also questioned what he described as the contribution of those who make inflammatory statements to national development. "They are not tired of bloodshed; they are not tired of destroying the nation. Ask yourself, what have you contributed to the development of this nation? Shame on you and everything you represent," he said .
The Federal Government and the National Population Commission have for years discussed conducting a modern population count, but the process has faced repeated delays and challenges. A credible census is essential not only for determining religious composition but also for planning public services, infrastructure, and resource allocation . Enenche's challenge has therefore placed the government under renewed pressure to act, as the debate over religious identity continues to dominate national discourse.
As the dust settles on Sunday's confrontation, one thing is clear: the battle over Nigeria's religious identity is far from over. Enenche has drawn a line in the sand, challenging both the government and those who make claims of superiority to let the facts speak for themselves. Whether the government will heed his call and conduct a credible census remains to be seen, but the pastor's words have ensured that the issue will not be quietly swept under the rug. For now, the question of which religion is the largest in Nigeria remains unanswered, but Enenche has made it clear that the time for speculation is over.
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