Since Sunday , July 10, that the All Progressives Congress, APC, standard bearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu announced Kasim Shettima as running mate, the political and religious space in Nigeria has gone haywire. Mixed feelings you may call it. To some Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election is an aberration while majority hail it as the strategic winning stroke from the master himself.
While not trying to condemn those who are apprehensive of a Muslim-Muslim ticket based on a perceived threat of political domination, but the facts remain that religion has nothing to do with politics especially in a sophisticated country like Nigeria.
As a student of history and global politics, it’s important to recall parts of the events that reshaped Europe and turned it to a highly industrialized countries.
I know we talk about it daily and we all dream about how our own country will one day be like any of the countries in Europe. Today, our youths troop out of the country daily to Europe, America, Canada and other parts of the world once bugged down by civil wars ignited by dominant influence of religion in conducting state matters.
In 1789 the popular Napoleon Bonaparte revolution sprang up in France and top on the list of what precipitated this popular revolution was the influence of the clergy in conducting State matters.
At that time ,Europe was governed by religious economies, meaning church was very strategic in government policy direction. There were abuses everywhere including ownership of land and property, exclusively reserved for the clergy and aristocrats
The 1789 revolution in France was the gateway for more revolutions between 1830 and 1848. These revolutions that occurred in Europe several years back in no small ways reshaped these countries that we all loved so much today but ironically we in Africa and specifically, Nigeria, haven’t learnt anything from their experiences.
It must be put on record that until the citizens ( eupeans) rose and fought against church influences in Europe several years back ,no progress was made. It’s an irony that why we all dream to live in Europe and possibly make our country to be like any of the European countries, we have been blindfolded by primordial sentiments of religious economy that held them backward for several years until multiple revolutions occurred in Europe.
In Nigeria for several years now, factories have given way to Mega churches, youths are being brainwashed against their leaders (government). Today, religious leaders have turned their churches and pulpits to campaign grounds. Churches that should naturally be used to preach salvation have become centres for political vendetta as the pastors, bishops or clerics don the toga of rebellion.
Sad enough, churches have become incubators for perfidy, spreading hate speeches and all kinds of ungodly propaganda. They want to set agenda for the political parties on how to conduct their affairs. This is highly provocative, especially when you see highly educated people who should know better joining the bandwagon and spreading fake news of the danger of Muslim-Muslim ticket or ruga or Islamisation agenda.
This type of event caused the revolutions in Europe and we should have learnt our lessons. I honestly advise that religious leaders should shun politics and leave it for the politicians while they continue to pray for those in authority, as the Holy Book says. They should rather allow their flocks to vote for the best candidates and according to the dictate of their conscience.
In conclusion, religion is a private matter and Nigeria is a secular society, so the country will continue to function like that. Politicians should be allowed to make policy that will address the challenges of the society while religion should concentrate of spiritual upliftment of the nation and soul winning.
.Otunba Sola A Olatunji writes from Lagos.
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