The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Joseph Hayab, has called for greater restraint and respect in public discourse, particularly when discussing religion and politics.
Hayab made the call on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, while reacting to a recent comment by Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir that generated controversy on social media.
In a video circulating online, Jingir reportedly said Nigerians who were unwilling to accept a Muslim-Muslim ticket should leave the country, claiming that Nigeria belongs to Muslims.
Reacting to the comment, Hayab said religious and political leaders should be more cautious about the language they use in public, warning that provocative statements could deepen existing divisions.
He said while Christians in the North had endured similar remarks in the past, the use of derogatory language made the latest comment particularly concerning.
“We have always been tolerant of this, and I want to take us back.
“We have had the worst of these statements. But we have to be moderate. We have to be careful when we come to public space,” Hayab said.
The CAN leader argued that Jingir could have expressed support for Muslim political candidates without using language that could be perceived as insulting or inflammatory.
“Honestly speaking, if Jingir had said, ‘look, let’s vote for our Muslim brothers to show we are strong’, it wouldn’t have been offensive than adding the term ‘infidel’,” he said.
According to Hayab, the situation changed when the cleric’s statement moved beyond political advocacy into what he described as an insult directed at people of another faith.
“The moment he went out of just campaigning and insulting, then it turns the story different,” he said.
Hayab maintained that Christians had experienced similar rhetoric for years and urged religious leaders to promote dialogue rather than statements capable of worsening religious tensions.
“But we are saying this as Christians that we’ve had this for a long time, we’ve suffered this for a long time, we are familiar with this for a long time,” he added.
