Stop there! Use your head; 2023 is a game, not the end!!

By Abdullahi O. Haruna

The Nigerian constitution did not recognise a Muslim or Christian as people to occupy offices but Nigerians with all the inalienable rights of aspirations. Religious bodies are distorting our philosophy of nationhood, the authority should wade in and redirect this perilous lane towed by those ingrained with vested interests.

If Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu , presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 general elections wins, even with all your crammed Quran in the head, you won’t enter his house or work with him unless you have something beyond religion to offer;

Same way with your crammed biblical knowledge and speaking in tongue, you won’t make Peter Obi’s cabinet or dine with him if you have nothing to give.

Remember Ayo Oritsejifor, former CAN president? He made it to Goodluck Jonathan’s kitchen cabinet because he is Itsekiri not because of his Christian toga. Ethnicity is even more potent than religion in the choice of inner dwelling.

All of you hitting your head on these religious narratives are bunch of silly belligerents filled with hidden venom. Politicians do not think like you, they have a common front – which is the sharing room where they sit at the same table to share power.

The election will come, a winner will emerge, the church and mosque will stand and the politicians will govern in their whims and caprice without a hue about your needless sanctimonious acrimonies. Like Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi said, ‘Don’t join politicians to fight their fight, their fight is not lasting but ephemeral, they have a fast meeting point than you their supporters’. And I can’t agree less, he speaks in deep wisdom.

The Nigerian political supporter just needs to be tactical in his political decision, he must be less emotional in his judgement and be more open-minded. The polity is being needlessly heated by toxic allegiance and intolerable support bases. Emotion drives him more than logic, the reason he is perpetually disgruntled and pained. Politics is like football, the players are on the field to win or lose. When they win, they celebrate, when a loss comes, they prepare for another game. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan seems to be one of the few politicians who understands the philosophy of politics, he lost his reelection and recoiled into the background, the reason he is more revered than an Obasanjo who even securing a well utilised two term in office was never ready to leave the scene. Nothing saps mental energy than holding obstinately to yesterday.

CAN and MURIC must halt their belligerence expedition and be more introspective like the Jammaatul Nasir Islam and the Catholic Bishops Conference who are less politically involved in the Nigerian political decisions. Religious incursion into politics is a dangerous omen for a nation with shaky patriotic minds and violent mutual distrust. The church and the mosque are more politically heated than even the political parties. They have dwarfed reasoning for mundane considerations, such that, we can’t even hear the political candidate sell us their manifestoes, all we are deafened with are the cacophonous narratives of divides between the Christians and Muslims. This is not healthy one bit, and those on the pulpit must stop to reevaluate their stance on this infamous voyage

The Nigerian constitution did not recognise a Muslim or Christian as people to occupy offices but Nigerians with all the inalienable rights of aspirations. Religious bodies are distorting our philosophy of nationhood, the authority should wade in and redirect this perilous lane towed by those ingrained with vested interests.

Meanwhile, the religious belligerents should know that there is no mono mind anyway in life, some Christians will vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress same way, some Muslims will vote for Peter Obi of the Labour party come 2023 during Nigeria’s presidential elections. Rest your mind and allow the voters to decide. Awon unsolicited rabble-rousers. The candidates are more strategic and tactical than your lean prejudice, they see beyond religion and ethnicity. Everywhere and anywhere is a potential harvest field of votes for them. Senator Kashim Shetima, Asiwaju’s running mate would garner Igbo votes for his party from the community of the boy he saw at a mall in Abuja and took over his educational needs. Same way Peter Obi will garner votes from Borno state as many people he has impacted would come enmass to cast their votes in his favour. Politics is not a straight jacket game, it is a dynamic template of intrigues. Those who personalize it are often seen as the retards of the game, primitive, shallow minds and provincial.

Lastly, it appears the only thing God is telling our religious leaders lately is who to vote for in 2023- salvation, repentance, love sermons etc all gone from our preachers.

Abdullahi O. Haruna is a Public Affairs Analyst.