{
  "id": 398609,
  "title": "Highly provocative, Fani-Kayode rebuts cleric’s comment on Muslim-Muslim ticket",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/highly-provocative-fani-kayode-rebuts-clerics-comment-on-muslim",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-09T18:37:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/highly-provocative-fani-kayode-rebuts-clerics-comment-on-muslim-muslim-ticket/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sheikh Yahya Jingir, an Islamic cleric, recently sparked controversy by advocating for Muslim-Muslim presidential tickets ahead of Nigeria's 2027 general elections. Jingir's stance was highlighted during an event attended by several All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, including Abba Yusuf of Kano and Umar Namadi of Jigawa State. The cleric praised President Bola Tinubu for promoting the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 election, describing it as a \"purely Muslim-Muslim coalition.\" Jingir reiterated his support for such tickets, urging Muslims to unite behind a single candidate in the upcoming polls. Critics of Jingir's comments have accused him of promoting divisive rhetoric, arguing that Nigeria is a secular and multi-religious country with equal numbers of Christians and Muslims. In response, Nigeria's Ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, condemned Jingir's remarks as \"highly provocative\" and urged Nigerians to focus on issues, policies, and personalities rather than religious affiliations. Fani-Kayode emphasized that Nigeria is not a Muslim or Christian country but a secular and multi-religious state. Despite the controversy, some Nigerians have defended the Muslim-Muslim ticket, arguing that every Nigerian, regardless of religion, has the right to aspire to the presidency.",
  "summary": "In a highly provocative statement, Nigeria's Ambassador-designate to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, rebuked Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir for calling for a continued Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections. Jingir, who praised President Bola Tinubu for promoting the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election, urged Muslims to support candidates from their own faith. Fani-Kayode criticized the comments as divisive and inappropriate for Nigeria's multi-religious society, warning against such divisive rhetoric.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "Highly provocative, Fani-Kayode rebuts cleric’s comment on Muslim-Muslim ticket",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/highly-provocative-fani-kayode-rebuts-clerics-comment-on-muslim-399671",
        "published": "2026-08-09T18:37:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "FFK fumes as Islamic scholar says those against Muslim-Muslim ticket should leave Nigeria",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/ffk-fumes-as-islamic-scholar-says-those-against-muslim-muslim-ticket",
        "published": "2026-08-09T20:31:24.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}