Opinion
By Emmanuel Ojeifo
BOLA Ahmed Tinubu finally announced yesterday what has been a rumor in the last few weeks: a Muslim-Muslim APC presidential ticket for the 2023 election.
The fact that the announcement was made during the Sallah celebration is a statement. This is Tinubu’s way of ingratiating himself with the Nigerian Muslim ummah.
When the rumor of a Muslim-Muslim ticket first became public, many voices of caution were raised in opposition to the idea. But the APC still went ahead with the plan. Strangely enough, Tinubu and his party are now telling us that having a balance of Religion on the ticket doesn’t matter and that we need to outgrow Religion. Anyone who agrees to this is just being naive and insensitive to Nigeria’s identity politics.
If the North-South regional balance didn’t matter, why did Tinubu who is from the South not pick another Southern VP candidate? Why did he go to the North? That shows that Regional balance matters.
If geopolitical balance didn’t matter, why didn’t he pick a South-East or South-South VP candidate? There are a number of competent APC party men from these geopolitical zones. Why did he go over to the North-East? Is it not because Buhari took the slot of the North-West? That’s to show that geopolitical zoning matters.
If ethnicity didn’t matter, why didn’t Tinubu pick another Yoruba VP candidate like himself? Why did he settle for a Kanuri Northern candidate? That’s to show that ethnicity matters.
But when it comes to Religious balance, they now tell us that Religion doesn’t matter. Was it not on the altar of Religion that they campaigned for Buhari in 2015? Did they not tell Northerners that he is a good Muslim? Did they not tell Christians that his driver and cook for many years were Christians? Why was that rhetoric important for 2015? Even Buhari who is fanatically Muslim was politically sensitive enough in 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015 to choose a Christian VP candidate.
If it is a question of the slot of the North-East, there are well-known and far more competent Northern Christians in the APC. Take for instance, the former HoR Speaker Yakubu Dogara (Bauchi, North-East) or the current SGF Boss Mustapha (Adamawa, North-East). Or even Governor Simon Lalong (Plateau, North-Central). Why didn’t they choose any of these? So it is NOT a question of the North-East slot or even of competence. APC is playing a script!
After Buhari’s squandered opportunity to unite this nation in the last 7 years, after his thoroughly lopsided political appointments in favor of his Northern Muslim base, after the atrocious decimation and systematic liquidation of Nigerian Christians in the last 7 years, APC’s tragic choice for the 2023 election is an insult to national cohesion. To say that Religious balance doesn’t matter is to say that Nigeria’s 100 million Christians do not matter, that we do not belong, that we mean nothing for national politics, that we are a useless lot!
Even if we were to suspend religious considerations for a minute, take a look at the APC candidates: do they look like people who have the competence, clarity of mind, and quality of character to lead Nigeria at this critical hour when our nation is dangling on a knife-edge? NO!
The best way therefore to resist this egregious, unforgivable national insult to Nigeria’s religious balance is to ensure that the APC doesn’t smell the presidential seat next year. Otherwise we are in for something far more worse than what we have suffered under Buhari.
This is a brazen and an insensitive decision. APC is clearly telling us that it doesn’t care two hoots and that Nigerian Christians can go to blazes! If Nigeria’s 100 million Christians fold their arms and allow this to pass, the joke will be on us for a thousand years to come!
Rev Father Emmanuel Ojeifo.
A.I
Tags: APC Bola Ahmed Tinubu
