The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory, Joseph Hayab, has called for moderation and respect in public discourse, particularly on sensitive religious and political issues.

Hayab made the call on Monday while speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he reacted to comments attributed to Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir in a video circulating on social media.

Jingir had reportedly said that Nigerians who opposed a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket should leave the country, claiming that Nigeria belonged to Muslims.

Hayab said while Nigerians had experienced provocative statements in the past, the use of the term “infidel” in the latest comments made the situation more offensive and heightened tensions.

“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.

He said Jingir could have made his political position without resorting to language that could be interpreted as insulting to people of other faiths.

“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.

Hayab stressed that political campaigning should not cross into insults or statements capable of deepening religious divisions.

He said Christians had endured similar remarks for a long time but urged Nigerians to promote responsible dialogue and engage with religious and political issues with greater restraint.