Religion As Weapon Of Distraction By Presidential Candidates, By Tunde Abatan
Never have the issue of religion been pushed into the front burner of national politics as it has been in the last eight years.
In 2015, the choice of who become President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate was decided purely on the need to ensure balance not necessarily to ensure good governance.
It was also used to attract sizeable sympathy votes from Christians of the Pentecostal denomination who command large followership.
In other words, religion became a deciding factor as if the leader’s religion play any role in competence or understanding basic issues of welfare and by extension the economic well being of citizens.
The point has to be noted that during the previous three republics, your religion never form part of criteria for accepting or measuring your performance when you get to power.
For example,in the South West,only Lagos has a moslem as candidate and running mate,all the other states,Ogun,Oyo,Ondo and Bendel has Christains as governors and deputies.
It never determined their performance in office while their subjects too never raised an eyebrow. Same in practically all the South Eastern states.
Though,pundits may argue that the Northern part of the country has more adherents of Islamic religion than others, yet,those who ruled the people has never performed based on his religious antecedents.
In other words, Religion is now being used as a tool to rouse the symphathy of the poor since it is their opium.
It is nit to give service of Change life but to out one of ‘us’ in power. In spite of this their economic situation remains same,while poverty index remains.
Give them religion then enslave them.
When a nation start using religion for picking leaders in a multi ethnic, multi religious country, you can be sure such a country is headed towards the economic slope because religion as being practised here is used more as a tool for economic enslavement through religious subservience.
Nevertheless, nobody can deny the fact that the two principal religion especially Christianity is based on Love, for he who must be in Christ must be in love.
Love abhors violence.
However,since the past three months when the race for the contest of Nigerias presidency next year started, issue of religion especially of the two dominant religions… Christianity and Islam has occupied the centre stage such that the spiritual calling of either the President and his deputy is seen as yardstick for performance.
Those who continue to harmer on these does so either as protest to avoid the religious violence and dominance of the past seven years of President Muhammadu Buharis government.
Since the government he heads is seen more of pandering to religious sentiments in appointment to high and responsive offices.
Though,the regime of President Buhari came into being partly for it’s appeal to religious sentiment and balancing as the vice President Yemi Osinbajo is a Pastor of a leading pentecostal Church,the Redeemed Christain Church of God,RCCG, it is doubtful whether his sponsors see more of religious qualification in him for performance but rather his exposure, intelligence and Intergrity.
In order words,if his being Christain has not in any perceived way reduced or prevent rampant bloodshed even of Islamic adherents by Boko Haram militants,why should the selection of another running mate or Presidential candidate for next year be hinged on religious consideration?
Not surprisingly, President candidate of Labour Party,LP, Mr Peter Obi has since the past three months, used religious gathering in Churches more to canvass for votes even when it is apparent that votes of Christains alone cannot ensure his success.
Obis adoption of religious ground for his picking voters emotion appears to be a follow- up to Abubakar Atiku, the Presidential candidate of People’s Democratic Party ,PDP, when he was his running mate in 2019.
Atiku them it will be recalled had deployed known religious clerics led by Reverend Father Matthew Hassan Kukah and Bishop Oyedepo to prevail on former President Olusegun Obasanjo to tactically endorse him.
This is in spite of Obasanjo’s scathing reservations about Atiku’s Integrity.
Yet, in the words of Tinubu, O lule meaning the campaign fail.
Now, what has changed between 2019 and now within the two most religious folds for candidates to cling to their followers endorsement?
The cabinet of President Buhari has equal number of Christian like Muslims while Boko Haram and bandits draw no line of their victims for the mass bloodshed they’ve spilled over the past seven years.
Ironically,Obis tenacious hold on Churches has drawn out Tinubu who had to set aside his liberal approach to playing Obis game.
He also addressed South West Islamic leaders Saturday assuring them of non discrimination in appointments and good governance.
He promised same to the Christain Association of Nigeria,CAN when he met the leaders few weeks ago in Abuja.
To the religious leaders,they fail to realise that faith of the President or leaders have nothing to do with competence to govern well and improve the lives of the people.
Tinubus dilemma though with a Pastor as wife, is hinged on his liberal approach to practising Islam and his adoption of a Moslem in Shettima as his running mate.
It is curious that both Oyedepo and Isaq Akintola,the extremist Islamic scholar and other Pastors who have practically turned their pulpit into political podiums have not ask valid questions on how candidates want to improve the economy, guarantee security which has affected prices of foodstuff,youth employment and the very structure of the nation which is at the root of it’s internal heamorrahae.
Since prices of foodstuff and other essential social services are not guaranteed by religious consideration,one wonders why politicians have forcibly convinced adherents of those two frontline faiths into believing that their economic and social salvation lies in the faith rather than the competence of those who seek to rule them.
From Cathoclism to Pentecostalism,Obi whose South East followers are present in large numbers,has successfully tied the future and issue of next year’s election to religious background especially with his moving from one Church to the other to address their congregation thus making next year’s election a strictly religious issue.
For Tinubu,who is easily the first candidate to launch a manifestoe,visiting mosques and addressing its leaders reassuring moslems of his spirit of fairness has helped him to play Obis game by pushing aside debate on his programmes rather than he chose to appeal to basic religious sentiments.
Since there are no separate economy and or market for adherents of several religion, using same to draw voters out is akin to systemic deception to get their consent and vote for power. Such power to their consternation is not likely to be used to serve them any purpose for their is a straight parallel line between economic management and religion.
The citizenry should ask more questions about how the candidates want to better their economic and social life in the midst of grinding poverty and social dislocation now being experienced across the board all over the country.
That to me is the irreducible minimal demand from the electorate as they prepare to exercise their voting rights next February.
