Religion, Nigeria’s poisoned chalice?

Yakubu Mohammed

In one of my essays, POLITICS, RELIGION AND MONEY, I dwelt majorly on the reaction of Nigeria’s Christian clerics, and to some extent the reactionary response of their Muslim counterparts, to the distribution by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the permanent voters cards (PVC). In it, I also talked about the barricade to churches by the former – barricades neutralised only by indubitable proof of PVC ownership. I also mentioned  the disrespect guilty verdict against both the APC and PDP by Pastor Sarah for their temerity in “electing” Muslims as their respective Presidential flag bearers. Fleetingly, I also commented on a social media post on the numerical “superiority” of Christian voters. This was long before the emergence of Kashim Shettima, immediate past governor of Borno state, as Tinubu’s running mate. This development has brought in its wake a cascade of Christian ire and reawakening (some call it fanaticism) that almost rendered the earlier brouhaha insignificant. To Oriana Fallaci, the late Italian journalist, religious fanaticism of any kind is what makes “donkeys fly”. The opposition voices came thick and hard in the social and traditional media fuelled either by fanaticism, conviction, genuine fear or outright mischief. Others were informed by moral or ideological principles.  Either way the message was, and still is, clear and unambiguous  – NO TO MUSLIM/MUSLIM ticket.

The voices of dissent first became evident in the social media. One of them was from a group of Protestant Bishops reportedly from various pentecostal churches. They were reported by the DEFENDER, from the stable of Defender Media Limited, as having described the development as “ an arrogant gamble with national peace and unity”. They also posited that “the body language of people in power today shows that they want to Islamise Nigeria for whatever reason”. Similar reactions came from other Christian bodies, individuals and public commentators.  The presence of some Christian clerics at the unveiling of Shettima also elicited a barrage of opposition condemnation and ire accompanied by comments such as “fakes”, “saboteurs” and “lucre-induced”. To Bishop Alexander Ibezim, Archbishop of the Niger and Bishop of Awka Anglican Communion diocese, the clerics were “playing with fire and taking politics too far.” In the same breadth he opined that “some people decided on a Muslim/Muslim ticket as if Christians do not exist. Christians, he added for good measure “must have a say in government “. If the clerics that exercised their right to choose and attendeded Shettima’s unveiling were, according to the Bishop, playing with fire and carrying politics too far what, in God’s name, is the Bishop doing by operationalising his own freedom of choice and opposing the same ticket? Fiddling with water and exercising his jaws?

Perhaps the most celebrated and high profile opposition to date has come from the duo of Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the government of the Federation and Yakubu Dogara former Speaker House of Representatives – both of them APC elites. The two were reported to have midwifed the formation of an organisation called APC Northern Christian Political Leaders with the sole aim of putting a spanner  in the wheels of the Muslim/Muslim ticket. Rising from the Abuja conclave or forgathering the duo made their way to Rivers state to parley with, and enlist the support of, Governor Wike to bolster their opposition to the ticket and their quest, according to Dogara, “ to build an an inclusive Nigeria” as opposed to the Nigeria of a Muslim/Muslim ticket. Details and outcome of their talks have still not  not made their way into the public domain in spite of the rather ingenious and humorous account of a supposed exchange between Babachir and Wike which went viral soon after the  visit. For Babachir though the visit was more ecclesiastical than political and was in obedience to a biblical injunction for Christians to “every now and then visit one another”. From the outside, this looks like a clash of purpose between Babachir and Dogara on the pilgrimage to Rivers state. What this portends for the opposition to the Muslim/Muslim  ticket can only be conjectured at this stage. Their host meanwhile, appeared non-committal promising to tell all in the near future. We all await this tell-all.

In the meantime, I find it expedient to point out that in spite of Wike’s disconcerting ability to effortlessly change positions, it is difficult not to like a man like him who says it as it is when he sees it the way he chooses to see it. In the midst of all this where does the fiery, anti-Buhari government, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Mathew Hassan Kukah, stand? Where is he whose condemnation of the Muslim/Muslim ticket would have counted for much more than those of dozens of opposition voices. Surprisingly, his reaction was marked by an uncharacteristic sobriety that caught many napping. Samples : “This is what you call team selection and everybody will choose depending on what they think will give them a better chance”;  “There is no guarantee that all Christians will vote for Christians and all Muslims will vote for Muslims”: “For me it is not something to lose sleep over”. Definitely very unKukah-like!

As usual the Muslims in our midst are slow to collectively rise in defence of the Muslim/Muslim ticket. This is not surprising as they have never been known for their proactiveness and pace-setting. This is not to suggest indifference. It is only another indication of the tardiness that we saw in the group’s feeble approach to the PVC “war”. This time around, however, the Muslims Rights Concern (MURIC) quickly picked up the gauntlet and rose to the defence of the Muslim/Muslim ticket. Reacting to CAN’s vehement opposition to the ticket the group said it was a “verbal halitosis” claiming that “the Christian umbrella body is just staying in character…canvassing for a Christian running mate not for the sake of Nigeria but for parochial ends. Democracy, the group maintained “is a game of numbers and every candidate should be allowed to make a free choice. “What is CAN afraid of?” the group asked. To MURIC Tinubu has not violated the constitution of Nigeria because it has not barred a candidate from picking a mate from his religious group. Finally, in what I consider an unnecessarily combative tone the group warned “the Christian umbrella body will have MURIC to contend with each time it throws dirt on Tinubu’s religion.”

A permanent feature of the Muslim/Muslim ticket debate is the relegation of competence and ability to deliver to the lower rung of the criterion ladder that guides ascent to public office. What does this say about us as a people, our perception of religion and its purpose and meaning? Is religion a weapon to be used as a means to an end? Is it an end in itself? Have both sides spoken with frankness and candour in the Muslim/Muslim ticket debate? Are we as Nigerians free from the neurosis a misunderstanding of the true meaning of religion causes? Has religion become our poisoned chalice, an albatross around our necks? Questions, questions and more questions.

Mohammed recently retired as Director-General of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA)