Islamic cleric and leader of the Izala Scholars Council, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, has said he has no regret over his recent declaration of support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, despite criticisms trailing the statement.

Jingir, who spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa monitored on Wednesday, said his position was not politically motivated or intended to campaign for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but was based on what he described as his responsibility as a Muslim.

He said he would continue to support and encourage Muslims to back a Muslim-Muslim ticket, regardless of the criticisms his position might attract.

“I will continue to support and encourage the Muslim-Muslim ticket. What they say would not stop me. They started it; at a point, we suffered in their hands,” he alleged.

The cleric had, during a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples, declared his support for the Muslim-Muslim arrangement and urged Muslims to vote in a manner that would demonstrate their numerical strength in the country.

Jingir said he decided to support the arrangement after President Tinubu “raised the flag” of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

He added that, as a Muslim preacher, he had the right to advocate a political arrangement that was consistent with his religious convictions.

The cleric also challenged claims that Christians or other religious groups constituted a larger population than Muslims in Nigeria.

His remarks have continued to generate reactions, with some commentators describing them as divisive, while others have defended his right to express his religious and political views.

A political analyst said the comments could strengthen support among Muslim voters who backed the Muslim-Muslim ticket in the 2023 presidential election ahead of 2027.
The analyst, however, warned that the position could also alienate some non-Muslim voters who previously supported President Tinubu.

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has expressed concern over the continued detention of Comrade Alalade Bukola Felix, popularly known as ‘Machiavelli’, by the police in connection with an alleged political crisis in Osun State.

NANS called for his immediate release or arraignment in court within 24 hours if the police have evidence linking him to any offence.

In a statement issued by the NANS Southwest Coordinator, Comrade Adeyemo Josiah, and Public Relations Officer, Comrade Olugbemi Timothy, the student body said it visited the Osun State Police Command in Osogbo over the matter.

The association said several aspects of the explanation provided by the command were “deeply troubling” and required urgent clarification.

According to the statement, Machiavelli’s wife told NANS that police operatives arrived at their residence at about 1am, allegedly forced their way into the house and took him away without properly informing his family of his destination.

NANS said the suspect was initially traced to the Area Command in Ilesa before he was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo.

The association said the police had alleged that Machiavelli was connected to a violent incident during a political procession and claimed that video evidence existed to support the allegation.

NANS, however, demanded that any such evidence be presented before a competent court.

“Our position is that if such evidence exists, place it before a competent court and prosecute him according to law,” the statement said.

The student body urged the police to respect due process and ensure that the suspect’s fundamental rights were protected throughout the investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings.

“During our engagements at the Police Command, we sought clarity and credible material supporting the allegations. No such material was presented to me. The mere existence of an allegation cannot become a substitute for judicial scrutiny or an excuse for prolonged detention.

“We acknowledge the responsibility of the Nigeria Police Force to investigate crime and arrest persons where there is reasonable suspicion of an offence. What we will not accept is a situation where allegation gradually becomes punishment through continued detention without the intervention of a court.

“An allegation is not a conviction, we therefore call directly on the Inspector-General of Police to urgently take interest in this matter and ensure that the Osun State Police Command and all officers involved act strictly within the law, professionally and without political influence.

“This is particularly important at a time when Osun State is approaching a sensitive election and public confidence in the neutrality of security agencies must not be allowed to deteriorate.

“NANS has consistently demonstrated its willingness to work with security agencies for peace. Only recently, the student leadership partnered with the Police through POCACOV in advocacy against electoral violence and social vices.

“Such cooperation can only survive where there is mutual trust, transparency, professionalism and fairness. Let it also be clearly stated that our intervention has nothing to do with Comrade Machiavelli’s employment, political association or relationship with any government official.

“He is a former NANS JCC Osun PRO, a former Convention Planning Committee Chairman, an alumnus of the University of Ilesa and an active stakeholder in the student movement.

“Whatever political interests may surround the allegations against him are secondary to us. Our concern is that a recognised student leader must enjoy the same due process guaranteed to every Nigerian citizen.

“Our position is simple, within the next 24 hours, either bring Comrade Alalade Bukola Felix “Machiavelli” before a competent court and place the allegations and available evidence before the judiciary, or release him in accordance with the law.

“We also call on the Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, and the senior officers overseeing election security in Osun State to demonstrate, in practice, the fairness and professionalism Nigerians have been promised.

“Should this situation continue without lawful judicial intervention or satisfactory resolution, NANS will consult its structures and commence lawful, peaceful and organised mass action to demand respect for due process and the fundamental rights of one of our own.

“We will neither defend wrongdoing nor obstruct a legitimate criminal investigation. But neither will we sit idle while political tension becomes an excuse for the rights of student leaders to be disregarded.

“Investigate if you must. Prosecute if you have evidence. But let the law, not allegation, determine guilt. The credibility of our security institutions in the days approaching this election will be judged not only by what they say about neutrality, but by what Nigerians see them do.”

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed concern over the growing role of the judiciary in determining election outcomes in Nigeria, saying it undermines the essence of democracy when the votes of millions are ultimately decided by a handful of judges.

Obasanjo spoke yesterday as chairman of the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) Democracy Dialogue at the Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre, Bauchi.

The dialogue, with the theme, “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and Judiciary Save African Democracy?”, brought together political leaders, statesmen, scholars and democracy advocates from Nigeria and other African countries.

Obasanjo questioned whether it was democratic for millions of citizens to cast their votes only for a few judges to determine the final outcome.

“If millions of people have voted and five people would form a decision either in favour or against the decision of millions of people, is that democracy?” he queried.

He also questioned the independence of the judiciary, asking whether it remained truly independent or was being influenced by the government.

The former president said the situation raised fundamental questions about the state of democracy in Nigeria and Africa, noting that democracy must ultimately deliver good governance and improve the living conditions of citizens.

He said democracy should guarantee welfare and wellbeing, inclusiveness, equality, a sense of belonging, protection of lives and property, and an end to marginalisation and discrimination.

“Democracy that works must deliver the dividends of democracy,” he added.

Obasanjo also questioned the effectiveness of political parties in sustaining democracy, asking, “Can the political parties deliver, or are they delivering? These are the questions the dialogue needs to answer.”

Jonathan Advocates Swiss-style Presidency To Curb Power Concentration

In his own submission, former President Goodluck Jonathan urged African countries to review their democratic systems and adopt models that reflect their histories, cultures and political realities while upholding justice, equality, human rights, accountability and free elections.

Jonathan made the call in his vote of thanks at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi.

He suggested that elements of the Swiss system of government could provide useful lessons for some African countries, particularly in preventing excessive concentration of political power in one individual.

“At the top level of the presidency, perhaps the Swiss model, where you don’t have one powerful president, may be the best for some African countries,” he said.

Jonathan explained that Switzerland’s executive authority was exercised collectively rather than concentrated in a single individual, making it more difficult for one person to take far-reaching decisions without consultation.

“I remember when I was Vice President, I once said that forefathers believed that when one person has so much power, it is dangerous to society,” he recalled.

He warned that concentrating enormous political powers in one individual could weaken democratic governance and public institutions.

Jonathan also cautioned against measuring democracy solely by elections, saying elections were only one component of a functioning democratic system.

Citing the 2024 Afrobarometer survey of 39 African countries, he said more than 70 per cent of respondents expressed a preference for democracy, while satisfaction with how democracy was being practised was significantly lower in many countries.

“This clearly shows that there is something fundamentally wrong with our democracy,” he said.

The former president said democracy must guarantee fairness, justice and equal treatment, with citizens able to freely choose their leaders and participate in the political process.

“If that is lacking in a country, then, of course, there is no democracy there,” he said.

Jonathan called for an independent judiciary free from executive interference and urged governments to ensure that legislatures had sufficient independence to perform their oversight functions.

He acknowledged, however, that achieving complete separation between the executive and legislature could be difficult where members of both arms belonged to the same political party.