Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi defends Sheikh Yahya Jingir after Jingir attracts controversy for supporting the continued use of “Muslim-Muslim” presidential tickets ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. Gumi says Jingir should be “excused,” arguing that Jingir works in an environment where Muslims face what he describes as excessive religious bigotry.
Gumi makes the remarks in a Facebook post, reacting to Jingir’s recent praise of President Bola Tinubu for adopting a Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 election and Jingir’s call for Muslims to continue backing that arrangement. While Jingir’s comments are criticized by some for encouraging religious-based politics, Gumi adds that religious sentiment is not confined to one political side, and he notes that opposition politicians also use religion to seek votes.
Across the two outlets, the core focus is Gumi’s stance that Jingir’s views should be understood in context, along with a call for keeping religion out of what he terms Nigeria’s “dirty politics.”
