Islamic cleric, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, has described claims that he harbours hatred for Christians as “mere lies”.

This was just as he clarified that his recent controversial public l comments were taken out of context.

Jingir made the clarification on Sunday in Jos, Plateau State, while speaking at a one-day national symposium themed, “Enhanced Political Participation and Social Justice as a Panacea for Unity and Development in Nigeria.”

The cleric had recently attracted criticism over remarks made during a mass wedding ceremony organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples, with some Nigerians accusing him of making comments capable of deepening religious divisions.

But addressing the controversy, Jingir said he never expressed hatred towards Christians or people of other faiths.

“A lot of people are saying I dislike Christians. I didn’t say I dislike Christians. It is a lie. My remarks were misinterpreted,” he said.

He stressed that Islamic leadership was founded on justice and fairness, arguing that Muslims were not permitted to discriminate against people of other faiths.

“Leadership in Islam is not about cheating people of different faiths. Islam teaches us to share love with people of different faiths or sects,” he added.

Jingir further said Muslims would be held accountable for any injustice committed against non-Muslims, while citing the Prophet Muhammad’s relationship with people of other faiths as an example of peaceful coexistence.

He consequently urged President Bola Tinubu, state governors and other political leaders to govern with fairness, regardless of the ethnic, religious or political affiliations of citizens.

“I call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to cheat non-Muslims and Muslims alike. I also call on you not to cheat those who are not in the same political party with you. You should lead with justice and fairness to all Nigerians,” he said.

The JIBWIS leader also defended the right of Nigerians to make independent political choices, stressing that every citizen should be free to support any candidate of his or her choice during elections.

“Everyone has the right to vote for whoever he feels is okay with him to vote for during an election,” Jingir stated.

He called for greater commitment to peace, unity and national cohesion, warning that insecurity and division would continue to undermine Nigeria’s development.

“Without peace, there will be no development,” he said, urging Nigerians to strengthen peaceful relations among the country’s diverse ethnic and religious communities.

Jingir’s latest comments come against the backdrop of his earlier political remarks in Kano, where he publicly backed the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket and described President Tinubu as his “political hero” for supporting the arrangement.

At the campaign event held in support of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the cleric urged Muslims to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and mobilise ahead of future elections.

He had said those opposed to the Muslim-Muslim ticket should “leave Nigeria because it belongs to us,” while referring to non-Muslims opposing the arrangement as “infidels” and urging his audience to “show the infidels their limit” at the polls.

Those remarks sparked criticism from sections of the public, with many accusing the cleric of promoting religious extremism.

George Nwabueze, accused by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of promoting a fake federal agency, has defended the status of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office.

He posted documents he said showed that the initiative was linked to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

Nwabueze, who describes himself as the National Coordinator and Executive Director of the project office, has continued to reject the ICPC’s allegation that the organisation was operating without government authorisation.

The documents shared by Nwabueze on LinkedIn include a purported appointment letter dated October 3, 2025, from the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office of the OSGF, as well as an earlier letter dated July 19, 2010, which he presented as evidence that the Made-in-Nigeria initiative had existed for years.

PREMIUM TIMES could not independently verify the authenticity of the documents.

The development comes days after the ICPC said President Bola Tinubu ordered the immediate arrest of Nwabueze, whom the commission identified as the promoter of the alleged fake office.

The president also ordered the suspension of three permanent secretaries: M.S. Danjuma, Nadungu Gagare and Richard P. Pheelangwah, following the discovery of the office, according to the ICPC.

The Commission said the organisation had been allocated space within the OSGF premises without presidential authorisation and alleged that some senior public servants had collaborated with its activities.

Nwabueze’s appointment letter

In one of the documents posted by Nwabueze and reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, on the letterhead of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, conveyed what it described as the approval of his appointment as National Coordinator/Executive Director of the Made-in-Nigeria Project Office.

The letter, dated October 3, 2025, is referenced OSGF/MIN/59310/II/205 and addressed to “George Buchi Nwabueze, National Coordinator, Made in Nigeria Project Office, OSGF, Three Arms Zone, Abuja.”

It states that his appointment was for five years, beginning from July 2025, and was renewable.

The document says the appointment followed an assessment of Nwabueze’s “commitment, contribution, and capacity” to deliver the mandate of the Special Project Office.

It also lists his responsibilities as supervising programmes, projects, and policies; overseeing regional and state coordinators across the 36 states; and organising exhibitions, trade expos, economic summits, and other initiatives to promote indigenous products and services.

A second page of the document states that the project was to use temporary office space in Room B53, Ground Floor, within the OSGF complex “for the time being” to facilitate effective coordination.

It further states that the appointment was at the pleasure of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and aligned with the objectives of the Made-in-Nigeria initiative under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The letter bears the name and signature of Nadungu Gagare, identified as the Permanent Secretary of the Political and Economic Affairs Office.

The appointment letter is significant because the ICPC’s allegation centres partly on whether the project office had official authorisation to operate within the OSGF.

However, PREMIUM TIMES has not independently established the authenticity of the document.

Nwabueze traces the project to 2010

In another document shared on Sunday, Nwabueze sought to trace the initiative back to 2010.

The letter, dated July 19, 2010, is addressed to “Buchi George”, then described as Executive Director of The Hats Centre in Owerri, Imo State.

It acknowledges receipt of a proposal dated July 16, 2010, seeking endorsement for a “Made in Naija” project planned to take place in Ireland as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 50th anniversary.

The letter, referenced NIG@ 50/S.7/C,3/45, states that the proposal should be forwarded to the Nigerian High Commission in Ireland for possible consideration.

Nwabueze relied on the document to argue that the Made-in-Nigeria initiative predates the current controversy by more than a decade.

“History and facts, from Made in Naija since 15th June 2010 to the Made in Nigeria project office,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post accompanying the document.

He questioned how a programme he claimed had existed for 16 years could suddenly be described as a fictitious government body.

PREMIUM TIMES could not independently confirm the authenticity or present status of the 2010 letter.

Nwabueze had also earlier posted another document dated April 17, 2025, proposing to grant the Made-in-Nigeria initiative the status of a special project.

The document was signed by Gagare and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

It said the initiative had been promoting Nigerian products and services locally and internationally and had organised economic forums and trade exhibitions.

It also listed potential benefits of granting the project special status, including job creation, economic growth, poverty reduction, increased domestic production, and reduced dependence on imported goods.

However, the document revealed that the project’s activities would undergo review, along with an examination of its operational modalities, to ensure clarity and effectiveness.

That detail leaves an important question over the precise administrative status of the initiative at the time Nwabueze was appointed.

Government engagements under scrutiny

Nwabueze’s defence comes against the backdrop of records showing that the organisation had established contacts with government institutions before the ICPC’s disclosure.

As PREMIUM TIMES previously reported, government records showed engagements involving the project in Abia and Anambra.

The organisation had also presented itself on its website as a strategic initiative of the OSGF, with a national coordinator, zonal directors, state coordinators and representatives in the United States and China.

Its website described the project as responsible for promoting Nigerian products, supporting small and medium enterprises, attracting investment, and organising trade fairs and economic forums.

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The website also identified Nwabueze as its National Coordinator and Executive Director.

Those claims became significant after the ICPC said the office was operating without presidential authorisation.

The controversy, therefore, goes beyond whether Nwabueze was appointed to a position bearing the name of a Made-in-Nigeria project.

It raises questions about the legal and administrative status of the office, who authorised its activities, how it secured space within the OSGF premises and the extent to which public officials interacted with it.

Lingering Concerns

Nwabueze’s documents provide his account of the organisation’s history and his relationship with the OSGF, but they have not settled the dispute over its status.

The ICPC has maintained that the office was one of the fictitious government structures uncovered during its investigation into the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.

The commission said Nwabueze was the promoter of the organisation and alleged that it operated with the backing of some public servants.

Nwabueze, however, has rejected the description and insists that the organisation is a project office under the OSGF.

The conflicting accounts now place greater importance on the outcome of the ICPC investigation.