2027: Nigerian Christians in Trouble, Sheikh Jingir Should Be Jailed — Primate Ayodele

The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his alleged silence on comments attributed to Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir.

Ayodele called for Jingir to be arrested, warning that Nigerian Christians could face greater difficulties if inflammatory religious statements were not addressed.

In a video posted on social media, the cleric expressed concern over remarks attributed to Jingir in a video circulating online.

Jingir was reportedly heard saying that Nigerians who rejected a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket should leave the country because Nigeria belonged to Muslims. He also reportedly referred to Christians as “infidels.”

Reacting to the remarks, Ayodele accused the government of applying different standards when dealing with controversial statements from religious leaders.

“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.

He argued that a Christian religious leader who made similar remarks would have faced immediate action from the authorities.

“If a Christian had made such a statement, they would have picked him up immediately,” he added.

Ayodele urged the Tinubu administration to caution Jingir and other religious leaders against making statements capable of inflaming religious tensions.

He warned that failure to address inflammatory rhetoric could further threaten peaceful coexistence and national unity, particularly as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The controversy has renewed debate over the responsibility of religious and political leaders to avoid rhetoric that could deepen Nigeria’s religious and social divisions.