By Abba Dukawa
As the country match toward 2023 general election leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria and other individuals became religious bigotry. I am sure using religious or tribal sentiments had not benefited anybody and the country at large. In the past 7 years the election patterns in the country held alone the ethnicity and religious lines this has taken the country to near brink of failed state so to speaks.
There was no time the country has ever been polarise like now as no one feel safe because of our collective failure in electing incompetent peoples that not able to be leaders at same time to work toward economy growth of the country. This mistakes of voting alone religious or tribal have broadening the eyes of Nigerians to forget tribalism and religious sentiments but resort of seeking Allah’s guardians to vote. What are the benefited from voting our present crop of leaders alone the ethnicity and religious lines.
Today, northern states and the country in general have turned into scarred zones with bandits, kidnappers and terrorists killing, kidnapping and raping innocent unarmed civilians without any challenge from the security agencies. One finds it difficult to juxtapose the constitutional and primary responsibility of the government with the prevailing situation in the country under the watchful eyes of the president and state governors given the situation in which scores of people are being killed on a daily basis while hundreds of others have abandoned their homes. Vividly as result of this wrong voting the country’s economy is in bad shape as the country arrive to the present dreaded moment as cost of servicing debt surpassed the federal government’s retained revenue by N310 billion in the first four months of 2022. The federal government’s total revenue for the period was N1.63 trillion, while debt service gulped N1.94 trillion.
As the country match toward 2023 General Elections there is needs for Nigerian to learn how to put the interests of the country first before our parochial, tribal, ethnic or religious interests because the country is for all of us. Since the ruling governing party banking on Muslim Muslim tickets since than there is no end in sight to the public spat on the tickets in spite this spat has nothing to do with either interest of Muslims or Christians but just for the political interests.
Why, Religion should be the yardstick to determine who governs Nigeria. Why should the religious of presidential and vice-presidential candidates matter? And What has religion in this case Christianity and Islam got to do with the ability and capability of a person to effectively govern a country such as Nigeria?
I mean, Nigeria is not only a country of Christians and Muslims. Millions of Nigerians do not identify as Christians or as Muslims. There are Nigerians who are atheists/humanists, traditional and religionists, Like their Christian and Muslim counterparts, they are also entitled to participate in politics and governance. They are entitled to vote and be voted for. Discussions over Muslim-Muslim, Muslim-Christian, Christian-Christian, and Christian-Muslim tickets have made religions especially Christianity and Islam, the main parameters for the choice of president and vice president.
For this reason Christian Association of Nigeria and it’s footsoldiers should know neither noise making nor intimidation can force the electorates to circumventing to their egos and selfish interest for their political survival. Why Babachir and co that fumble on Muslim Muslim ticket why they felt aggrieved by the action using available platform instigating Christians for anybody to stand against the choice.
For former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and other minds alike individuals across the country should remember Nigerians are wiser enough will not to let the religious bigotry add more suffering to us while they swing in dollar and Naira at their comfort zone. In spite, these people are morally corrupt to speak on behalf of Christians. They doing it for their good, not for poor Christians and Christianity for anybody to fight on behalf of his religion he must be morally upright because religion is about righting the wrong.
Let the Christian Association of Nigeria and these selfish groups allow political office seekers to misuse religion as a tool to get to power and just get personal gain from those who are in authority. Let CAN and other religious bigotry understand that Nigeria constitutions give anyone freedom of religion this should be strictly applied and protected. Let CAN float a Christian party that will concentrate on party politics rather than making unnecessary noises.
Dukawa write in from Kano can be reached via abbadukawa@gmailcom
