Gumi Responds To Sheikh Jingir Who Said Nigeria Is Muslim Country, Those Having Issues Should Leave

According to a report by the official Facebook page of Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi on Monday August 10, 2026, Dr Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi has responded to comments attributed to Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir over the role of religion in Nigeria’s politics.

Gumi appeared to caution against turning religious identity into a political weapon, while also suggesting that Jingir’s position should be understood within the atmosphere of religious tensions surrounding political activities in the country.

In his response, Gumi said, “Jingir should be excused for his extreme view in politics, he dwells in the eye of the storm of excessive bigotry against Islam. Just recently a mere Muslim VC in Plateau state is stirring controversy. On the other hand the opposition is not also free from using religion to garner votes.

“In a multi religious entity, religion should not be dragged into the quagmire of dirty politics.”

The central point of Gumi’s message is that religious identity should not become the basis for political mobilisation in a country as diverse as Nigeria.

His response also appears to highlight what he considers a double standard in the way religion is discussed in politics.

While he referenced what he described as bigotry against Islam, he equally noted that opposition politicians can also use religious sentiments to attract voters.

Gumi’s comments come amid renewed debate over the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Sheikh Jingir has openly backed the arrangement, while critics have questioned its implications for religious balance and national unity.

By urging politicians and religious leaders to keep religion away from what he described as “dirty politics,” Gumi is pushing for a political environment where competence, governance and national interest take precedence over religious identity.

His intervention has therefore added another voice to the growing debate over how Nigeria can manage its religious diversity without allowing political competition to deepen existing divisions.