Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has condemned comments by Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, who said he had “no regrets” over remarks he made about Christians and maintained that he would continue saying what he had said.

Jingir, speaking on August 12, 2026, reportedly said:

“I WON’T APOLOGISE, I HAVE ZERO REGRETS ABOUT THE THINGS I SAID AND I WILL STILL CONTINUE SAYING THIS ANYWHERE. ANYBODY THAT DOESN’T LIKE IT CAN SAY WHAT THEY WANT BUT I DON’T CARE.”

 

Reacting to the statement, Fani-Kayode said Jingir had “knuckled down” by insisting that he had “no regrets” over his comments, describing the development as unfortunate.

 

According to Fani-Kayode:

“It really is unfortunate that a man that would ordinarily have attracted universal reverence due to his calling as a Man of God has degenerated to this level & brought so much opprobium upon himself.”

 

He praised the Sultan of Sokoto for urging Christians and Muslims not to insult one another, describing the intervention as “fatherly counsel from a reverred leader.”

 

Fani-Kayode also said he had spoken with four Northern Muslim governors who, according to him, were “ALL appalled with Jingirs insults on Christianity.”

 

He stressed that Christians deserved the same respect as Muslims, stating:

 

“I am a Nigerian Christian & I deserve to be respected for who and what I am just as every Nigerian Muslim deserves to be respected for who & what he is as well.”

 

While saying he would remain restrained despite Jingir’s refusal to apologise, Fani-Kayode accused the cleric of making several offensive statements, including allegedly calling Christians infidels, saying Christians must be put in their place, describing Nigeria as a Muslim country, referring to Christians as a minority and telling those uncomfortable with a Muslim-Muslim ticket to leave the country.

 

He also took exception to Jingir’s alleged claim that the Maitatsine sect were “Christians in disguise.”

 

Fani-Kayode dismissed the claim, saying:

“This is a lie from the pit of hell.”

Addressing the 2023 Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, Fani-Kayode said Christians who supported the arrangement did not betray their faith.

 

He said:

“When we, as Christians, supported a Muslim/Muslim ticket in 2023 we did not betray our faith or agree to subordinate it to any other but we did so because we believed that competence & not religion ought to be the guiding factor in such matters.”

 

According to him, Jingir had misunderstood the position of Christians who supported the ticket.

 

“Our belief is that these two great faiths are on an equal footing & that neither is superior to the other.”

 

He added:

“We believe that religion is a matter of choice & that we have an obligation as Believers to respect one another & respect those choices.”

 

Fani-Kayode further declared:

“I cannot be Jingir’s footmat just because I am a Christian or because I am in APC.”

 

He argued that Jingir’s comments had damaged the Muslim-Muslim ticket more than its critics could have done, saying:

 

“I speak for millions when I say with those few words spoken at that public event which was televised before millions of Nigerians & members of the international community, Jingir has done more harm to the Muslim/Muslim ticket that he claims to support than anything & anyone else.”

 

Fani-Kayode also said Jingir would “live to eat his words” for referring to Christians as infidels and declared that he would not associate with anyone who preached religious hatred.

 

“We are past that stage in this country and I for one can NEVER share a platform, be in a party or have any form of fellowship with a misguided individual who claims to be a cleric but who preaches hate.”

 

He warned against religious extremism and intolerance, arguing that such conduct diminishes both Christians and Muslims.

 

“We must not cross the red line of religious extreemism or intolerance because it diminishes us all as God-fearing Christians and Muslims who both believe in one God.”

 

Fani-Kayode said Christians across Nigeria had been hurt and offended by Jingir’s remarks and called on Muslim leaders to do more to address the controversy.

 

He concluded by appealing to the Sultan of Sokoto and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to publicly caution Jingir.

 

“He has no regrets, no remorse, no decency, no shame & no place in todays Nigeria.”

 

“I call on His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto and the President of our beloved country, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to publicly caution him before it is too late.”