By Bolaji O. Akinyemi.
Politics is structured to strategically divide, whence the purpose of the Church is to unite! The Church as The Body of Christ has no life in partisan politics, yet she is the shoulders upon which God’s plan for good governance is placed.
This predicament calls for caution and wisdom for us to play in the space where individual citizens with interest in politics irrespective of tribe or religion must be encouraged!
As the light of the world and the salt of the earth, our focus must square on giving serious attention to public *advocacy* efforts to confront poverty; promoting political culture and community enlightenment must be designed for the public and championed by Christians to see an end to our cap in hand attitude to politics and governance!
Tinubu is a politician, an astute and tactical one at that, the game card of politics is to divide, I am really not surprised at his approach to the 2023 game. We are Christians, and it must reflect in all that we do; information processing, decision making and action initiation.
We were not caught on aware by Tinubu’s decision for a Muslim/Muslim ticket. Whence he was yet an aspirant he made it clear and made good his word when opportunity beckoned. I am however surprised that we are carrying on in the game as ignorant of his device.
Tinubu has successfully thrown a wedge between the Christian and Muslim population in the country for political reason and the gulf is daily widening.
Romans 16:17 (KJV)
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
The admonition to the Church of Rome was very clear, there are signs that mark division causing persons out, any community in hope of love, unity and growth must watch out for the marks and once it is seen in anyone they must be avoided like a plague.
Solomon captured it in stronger terms!
Pro 22:10 (KJV) Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
There are people among us disdaining the faith and showing contempt for our collective position. Such King Solomon says until they are thrown out, strifes and reproaches shall not cease and contention will remain our companion.
The question every voter in Nigeria must ask themselves whether Muslim, Christian, Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa is simple, can a divisive candidate nurture love among us which is sancrosant to our unity and unity the fertilizer that will nurture growth and national development.
Nigeria has been divided beyond what we ever know. Today, every component of national community are standing in strands as if we are not meant to touch each other.
Not just things, have fallen apart, friends are made foes and tribes are torn apart. Our nation is been shred before us, so badly that the tread lines can hardly be noticed. How then will the center hold?
Our dire need is not two but one; UNITY, a candidate recognizing this is trying to play the card of our need has said it would be leading policy of his government if elected, he is politically branded as *the unifier*. How the one who in the midst of his clan reminded them of their need for a northern President plans to unite us is what I don’t know.
The man from the East has avoided the ethnic cards since his foray into the Presidential race, but is that enough to adjudge him a saint in the matter? I don’t think so!
Nothing is as critical as our need for unity, the party or candidate that can’t place this strongly on the front burner and demonstrate it in every way possible and show their readiness to help bring us together must be AVOIDED.
The attitude of candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has successfully pulled the Christians apart from the Muslims should be of concern to the Church. Once the reservation of Muslim/Muslim ticket is mentioned, the rhetorics of reply from the Muslim is it’s a shame on us if Tinubu fail in 2023 election!
While the walls between communities of Christians and Muslims is in rumble. Tinubu has jumped among his people; the Yoruba of South West of Nigeria, returning to Pa Fasoranti without the Fulani cows he couldn’t find the last time he visited, but not without the attitude that indicted an innocent tribe and justified the guilty one.
I am not against any candidate WINNING 2023 presidential election provided it is free, fair and not bought.
But it will be pretty difficult if not impossible to rally people grown to hate each other for no just cause other than political benefit of an individual, together for nation building.
Today the unspoken hatred between two groups that are critically needed if Nigeria would be united is so loud.
There necessarily must be a hands shake of faith between Christians and Muslims before 2023 election. It will be foolish of us as Christians to think that we can single handedly make a president over Nigeria even Christ in heaven will not support that. It is equally uncanny for Muslims in Nigeria to think of a government that will be exclusively elected by Muslims given the polarity of Nigeria along religious lines.
The facts are incontrovertible, politicians have kindled a flame of religious war that Christians are not prepared for, unfortunately we are the ones fanning it with words, time to make peace is now! Majority of Muslims are equally not ready for war, but not the fundamentalists whose hidden activities sent the Americans running out of Nigeria.
My question for the Yoruba is, if our own son has driven Afenifere apart inordinately and two different rhythms of drum beats of war is sounding from our home. If there is a war at home, how do we recruit the home front for the battle raging outside?
If politicians don’t have conscience; have we also lost ours?
Election isn’t a war! Voting is a community activity to throw a leader who will better our communal living peacefully and in prosperity with one another.
Christians must stretch their hands to their Muslim neighbours. We must together get voters in a given community to step out and walk together to say No to Vote SELLING and BUYING. When this is achieved, we would all have collectively become Community Ambassadors for Peaceful Elections (CAPE) and watchdogs of our electoral process which is necessary at keeping the Umpire (INEC) and Adhoc Agencies on their toes and the global community informed of our desires and determination for a free and fair election!
The memory of 1993 was of an election Prof Humphrey Nwosu made free and fair before we ever lined up to vote. Will Prof Mahmood Yakubu predetermine 2023 in the pattern of 1993?
Beyond the umpire is our duty to equity and justice. If Christians and Muslims are serving a just God who will not tilt the scale of justice. We must now leave behind the narrative of Muslim/Muslim ticket and together lead the country to another free and fair election.
bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com
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