A former National Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Samuel Salifu, has challenged remarks attributed to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu regarding Nigeria’s religious population.Speaking in Kaduna during a meeting on the adoption of the Northern Christian Association (NCA) name, Salifu said the First Lady was “misinformed” in reportedly stating that Muslims outnumber Christians in Nigeria. He did not provide official census data to support his position.
Nigeria’s national censuses have not included religious affiliation in recent decades, and there is no current official data on the country’s religious breakdown.
Salifu alleged that religious data was removed from past census exercises to prevent tensions, referencing discussions involving former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other officials. These claims could not be independently verified.
He also questioned the accuracy of previous census processes, recounting a personal experience as a former enumerator. No official response was available from the National Population Commission at the time of filing this report.On the NCA, Salifu said the association was founded in 1964 and later evolved into CAN after broader national participation. He said the group aims to address concerns of Christians in northern Nigeria.There has been no public response from the Office of the First Lady regarding Salifu’s remarks.
