A former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,
has warned political parties and their leaders against the idea of fielding
either Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian as presidential and
vice-presidential candidates for the February 14, 2014 election.
He said in a terse statement made available to journalists
in Abeokuta, Ogun State on Sunday that such idea was dangerous given the
current happenings in the polity.
Although he made no mention of any political party or
politician in the statement, he appeared to have alluded to an All Progressive
Congress presidential aspirant, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s
comment on Saturday that he was not opposed to a Muslim-Muslim
ticket.
Obasanjo’s statement read, “Sensitivity is a necessary
ingredient for enhancement of peace, security and stability at this point in
the political discourse and arrangement for Nigeria and for encouraging
confidence and trust.
“It will be insensitive to the point of absurdity for any
leader or any political party to be toying with Muslim- muslim or
Christian-Christian ticket at this juncture.
“Nigeria cannot at this stage raise the spectre and fear of
Islamisation or Christianisation. The idea of proselytisation in any form is a
grave danger that must not be contemplated by any serious-minded politician at
this delicate situation in Nigeria, as this time is different from any other
time.
“Therefore, disregarding the fact that there are fears that
need to be allayed at this point will amount not only to insensitivity of the
highest order but will also amount to very bad politics indeed.”
Buhari had in an interview published on Saturday by an
online newspaper, TheCable, said he had an open mind on a Muslim-Muslim
ticket.
The presidential aspirant argued that he had shown in the
past that he was not a religious fundamentalist by picking
Christians as his running mates. His former running mates are a
former Senate President Chuba Okadigbo (late); an ex-Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Edwin Ume-Ezeoke (late) and Tunde Bakare.
He had said, “Nigerians will always uncover impossible room
for manoeuvre for politicians. I had to face one of the governors during one of
our party’s meetings [over the issue of religion].
“In 2003, I chose Okadigbo as my running mate. He was a
Roman Catholic. He was an Igbo. In 2007, I picked Ume-Ezeoke. He
was a Roman Catholic. He was an Igbo. And in 2010, I chose even a pastor.
Pastor Tunde Bakare.
“Honestly, what do Nigerians want me to do? If they don’t
believe I’m not a fundamentalist, what else can I do?”
He added that the late MKO Abiola, a southern Muslim,
picked Babagana Kingibe, a northern Muslim, as his running mate in the 1993
presidential election.
The Muslim-Muslim ticket won the election generally
considered as the fairest and freest election in Nigeria.
Buhari is believed to be looking in the direction
of Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, who is also a muslim, as
his running mate.
Fashola had since distanced himself from reports that he
might be Buhari’s running mate.
When contacted, the Director-General, Buhari Support Group,
Alhaji Umaru Dembo, said, ‘‘I do know the context in which what was said was
said. So many people have been trying to cast the APC in a religious garb. What
I can say is that when the issue of the ticket is decided, the party will look
at other issues. Right now, talking about the running mate is a distraction.’’
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Lai
Mohammed, however, told one of our correspondents that it had “noted”
Obasanjo’s advice.
He said, “We appreciate the fact that the problem
confronting our nation today is one that requires a patriotic Nigerian who has
the capacity and competence to deal with. We however note the former
President’s advice.”
Mohammed added that the party had always
pledged to be guided by the 1999 Constitution and its guidelines in taking
decisions on issues that affect the generality of Nigerians.
“What we’ve always said is that our party will be guided by
the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and will be guided also by
our own guidelines and also will be guided by what we believe is in the best
interest of Nigerians,” he said.
The APC had lost some of its prominent members who claimed
that the party leadership was planning to field Muslim-Muslim candidates for
the 2015 presidential election.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh,
said the party had decided to keep off religious issues and focus on politics.
“At this point in time, due to what is happening in the
nation, the PDP has refrained from commenting on religious matters. We want to
keep religion out of politics. We are focused on politics. We do not want to
make comments on religion,” Metuh added.
The ruling PDP has already endorsed President
Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian as its presidential candidate. Vice-President
Namadi Sambo, a Muslim whom the PDP leadership described as a member of its
winning team, may still run as Jonathan’s deputy.
APC, PDP legislators, others disagree
However, the caucuses of the PDP and APC in the House of
Representatives differed on the issue.
The Minority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, said
the character of the presidential candidates should be the focus and not the
religion.
He explained that Nigeria could have “all-Muslim”
candidates or “all-Christian candidates.”
Gbajabiamila added, “For us, it doesn’t matter whether it
is a Muslim-Muslim ticket or Christian-Christian ticket.
“What people are looking out for is development and good
governance.
“We should be looking at the character of the person and
what he can offer, not his religion.”
But, the PDP caucus praised Obasanjo for bringing the issue
to the fore.
The Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, said
members were in support of Obasanjo.
“The former President spoke well. We are totally in support
of what he has said.”
A former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Shuaib
Oyedokun, also commended Obasanjo for the statement.
Oyedokun said, “This statement from him is
commendable. We must however be reminded that Nigerian had done this in the
last by fielding Muslim/Muslim ticket.
“We must know that there are some states in both the South
and the North that are either predominately Christians or Muslims and because
of this, it would be difficult to do balancing.”
In the Senate, Kabiru Marafa said it was “left for the
parties to design their permutations for winning elections and for Nigerians to
say yes or no to them during the polls.”
Marafa recalled that the late Abiola and
Kingibe, both Muslims, contested for election on the same platform.
“They ran together and their election is still a point of
reference in Nigeria. There was no crisis. In fact, people voted overwhelmingly
for them across the country,” he said.
The lawmaker argued that it would “have been better if the
former President had advised his own party not to do so because of
the fear of losing an election.”
Also, Senator Boluwaji Kunlere, said that Obasanjo “should
avoid such advice now especially when a political party is already being
accused of bringing about a religious agenda.”
A Lagos-based lawyer, Fred Agbaje, said while he agreed
that “Obasanjo’s pronouncement on any major nation issue cannot be
ignored,” he (Obasanjo) “should not arrogate to himself, the title of Mr.
Know-it-all.”
Agbaje said, “What is Obasanjo saying? Haven’t Nigerians
voted Muslim-Muslim ticket before even though the power-that-be did not allow
it to stand? What Nigerians need are competent leaders, and they could be
Muslim-Muslim, Christian-Christian, female-female, male-male, male-female or
female-male.
“Nigerians need leaders that will solve many of the
nation’s socio-economic woes, unemployment, corruption, armed robbery,
kidnapping and the general state of insecurity in the country.
“Obasanjo should not see himself as the only person having
the panacea to the nation’s problems.”
However, the Trade Union Congress advised the
political class to avoid any controversial issue such as a Muslim/Muslim or
Christian/Christian ticket.
