Ordinarily, the same-religion ticket ought not to be a problem. However, with the reality of the growth and development of religious fundamentalism, with APC’s obvious lethargy in addressing the security threats that arose therefrom, the party simply expands national fault lines and fuels mutual suspicion across religious faiths in the country. Therefore, it will not be surprising, or, out of place for members of religious faiths not captured in the proposed same-religion ticket, to feel threatened and unsafe. With mutual suspicion, which fired up the alleged islamisation agenda, the same-religion proposal will only create more suspicion and national discontent and as such, unhealthy for the sort of national political participation that will grow the country.
Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu
By the time you digest the content of this easy, the All Progressive Congress (APC) would have chosen someone to pair Bola Ahmed Tinubu on its ticket for the 2023 presidential election. Whosoever it picks is its choice. But, it may also determine the outcome of the election. However, it would not mean that the content of this essay has become useless. No, it may hold out as a record of concern over the fate of Nigeria and the progressive rise of recklessness and thoughtlessness in the management of the affairs of the country.
There has been concern over the plot to create a same-religion ticket for the APC. Some proponents of this have taken us back to 1993 to point out that Nigerians massively voted for a same-religion ticket which was, however, truncated by the military administration even when the principal actors have vehemently refused to say exactly why. And, this has found new expression in the transfer of Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebration from May 29 to June 12 by the incumbent government. Some have argued that the recognition of June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day, and as a consequence, a celebration of the sacrifice of Nigerians for the enthronement of civilian rule, is a subtle way of also reminding Nigerians that there is nothing wrong with a same-religion ticket in the governance of the country because there wouldn’t have been a Democracy Day if there was no same religion ticket in Moshood Abiola and Babagana Kingibe.
While it is true that Nigerians voted same-religion ticket in 1993, the other side of the truth is that 2023 is not 1993. A lot has happened to the psyche of the average Nigerian between 1993 and today. Therefore, contemplating a same-religion ticket in present Nigeria is akin to telling people of other faiths, including animists, that they do not matter, and at best, they should do their worst. I guess this is why a whole lot of Nigerians, including faith-based organisations, have voiced their opposition to it. Those who have done so already, argue that the idea is highly insensitive despite the argument that what is most desired is competence. Hey, there are competent northern Christians too. Competence is, therefore, not a quality exclusive to members of any particular faith.
For many people, however, it is not surprising that the plot is coming from APC. Sadly, the party has since 2015 created a story around itself about the intolerance of other faiths. There have been detailed exposures of the same-religion ticket plot in the run-up to the 2015 general elections. APC refused to make any efforts to deny this. It also refused to explain itself in this regard. Interestingly, the allegation of a same-religion ticket in 2015, pointed more to Tinubu. Now, it has resurrected again with him bearing the APC flag. This lends itself to the truth of the allegation in 2015. Haven refused to take any steps to deny or explain this, APC lends itself strongly to the fact that it is deeply intolerant of Nigeria’s religious diversity.
Ordinarily, the same-religion ticket ought not to be a problem. However, with the reality of the growth and development of religious fundamentalism, with APC’s obvious lethargy in addressing the security threats that arose therefrom, the party simply expands national fault lines and fuels mutual suspicion across religious faiths in the country. Therefore, it will not be surprising, or, out of place for members of religious faiths not captured in the proposed same-religion ticket, to feel threatened and unsafe. With mutual suspicion, which fired up the alleged islamisation agenda, the same-religion proposal will only create more suspicion and national discontent and as such, unhealthy for the sort of national political participation that will grow the country.
But, let me go back to 1993. Those born that year will be 30 years in 2023. That means they are 29 this year. Many of them are among the army of youths now thronging registration centers to acquire permanent voter’s cards. They did not experience the Nigeria of 1993. They do not know the Nigeria of 1993. Somehow, they would read narratives about how Abiola made it and how the military dashed his hope. But, the Nigeria they know today is one that is heavily polarized between the two major religions and between the north and the south. The narrative about Nigeria which they have grown with is not good for nation-building. Such narratives are not even good for their mental health. While older Nigerians will tell stories of internal migration and seamless integration in their days, younger Nigerians see themselves badly divided along religious lines. This reality has been further orchestrated by the manner the ruling APC handled Nigeria’s diversity with its unpronounced but actively practiced policy of discrimination, exclusion, and alienation on religious grounds.
Therefore, marketing same-religion ticket to this generation of Nigerians in the 2023 election, will be a step towards further convincing them that indeed, the pictures they have lived to see about Nigeria, as a country where people of certain faiths cannot rise to the leadership of certain state organisations, is not just actually but also, a policy statement of a political party. They, therefore, will not be wrong to tag APC as a political party that is deeply, and strongly, affiliated with a particular religion. Will anyone then blame, or reasonably, castigate such persons for identifying APC as the Islamic Party of Nigeria? The tag would have been earned, and rightly too.
There are suggestions that the same-religion ticket would be in the overall interest of the north. That is hogwash. The individualistic interest of some political actors in a political environment cannot be transplanted, and explained away, as group interest. It is therefore expedient for proponents of the idea to develop another plot towards achieving their interest. This is because as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said “the weaponisation of religious difference in the recent past as never before is a cause for concern and a sufficient reason for those of us who do not want this nation to go into avoidable crisis to cry out now. It will be plain disrespect for diverse religious communities in Nigeria for any party to go against common sense to foist a single religious ticket in a religious plural country with serious problems of religious extremism and violence against Nigerians. No party in Nigeria can deny the existence of credible men and women from both Islam and Christianity that can be their Presidential and running mate.”
Though religious diversity is not one of the constitutional requirements on political parties to field candidates for election to the office of president of the federal republic, it is just about common sense and the appreciation of the country’s religious diversity.
