By Chinemerem Nnawuihe

Every Nigerian citizen has the right to freedom of religion and worship as provided by Section 38(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Therefore, no citizen should be discriminated against on the basis of his/her religion.

In the same vein, every Nigerian citizen has a right to associate with whomsoever they wish as guaranteed under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This right includes the right to form or join a political party. This means that, Muslims can freely associate with Christians and traditional worshippers vice versa. Does this apply to political leadership?

In Nigeria’s political history, even our founding fathers found a way to balance political leadership being conscious of the fact that Nigeria is a heterogeneous society where all parts of the country and all shades of divergent views, opinions, religions and political affiliations must be carried along.

This balance has always been respected and adhered to whether Nigeria was under a civilian or military leadership.

An analysis has been provided below:

Nigeria’s First Republic: 30th August, 1957 – 15th January, 1966

The Prime Minister, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was a Muslim from the then Northern Region.

The President/Head of State (ceremonial), Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was a Christian from the then Eastern Region.

Nigeria’s Second Republic: 1st October, 1979 – 31st December, 1983

President – Alhaji Shehu Shagari a Muslim from from present-day Sokoto State (Northwest Nigeria).

Vice-president – Dr Alex Ekwueme a Christian from present-day Anambra State (Southeast Nigeria).

Nigeria’s Fourth Republic:

29th May, 1999 – 29th May, 2007

President – Chief Olusegun Obasanjo a Christian from Ogun State (Southwest Nigeria).

Vice-president – Atiku Abubakar a Muslim from Adamawa State (Northeast Nigeria).

29th May, 2007 – 5th May, 2010

President – Umaru Musa Yar’Adua a Muslim from Katsina State (Northwest Nigeria).

Vice-president – Dr Goodluck Jonathan a Christian from Bayelsa State (South-south Nigeria).

5th May, 2010 – 29th May, 2015

President – Dr Goodluck Jonathan

Vice-president – Namadi Sambo a Muslim from Kaduna State (Northwest Nigeria).

29th May, 2015 till date

President – Muhammadu Buhari a Muslim from Katsina State (Northwest Nigeria).

Vice-president – Prof Yemi Osinbajo a Christian from Ogun State (Southwest Nigeria).

Nigeria’s Military Interregna

29th July, 1975 – 13th February, 1976

Head of State – General Murtala Mohammed, a Muslim from present-day Kano State (Northwest Nigeria).

Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters (2nd-in-command) – Major-General Olusegun Obasanjo, a Christian from present-day Ogun State (Southwest Nigeria).

14th February, 1976 – 1st October, 1979

Head of State – General Olusegun Obasanjo

Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters – Major-General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, a Muslim from present-day Katsina State (Northwest Nigeria).

27th August, 1985 – 26th August, 1993

“Military President” – General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, a Muslim from Niger State (North Central Nigeria).

Chief of General Staff (Military Vice-President) – Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, a Christian from present-day Abia State (Southeast Nigeria) – August 1985 to October 1986.

He was succeeded by Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, a Christian from present-day Edo State (South-south Nigeria).

17th November, 1993 – 8th June, 1998

Head of State – General Sani Abacha, a Muslim from Kano State (Northwest Nigeria).

Chief of General Staff – Lieutenant-General Oladipo Diya, a Christian from Ogun State (Southwest Nigeria).

From all the above analysis, it is clear that there has been an established convention on power sharing in order to create a balance in Nigeria’s political leadership.

The only time that Nigerians ‘widely’ accepted a Muslim-Muslim political alliance albeit through the ballot box, was in 1993 when the then Presidential candidate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola (of blessed memory) chose a fellow Muslim from Borno State (Northwest Nigeria), Alhaji Babagana Kingibe as his running mate for the (annuled) 1993 Presidential election.

Prior to Chief Abiola’s choice of Alhaji Kingibe, news from the grapevine had it that, the then maximum ruler of Nigeria, IBB (as he was fondly called), asked Chief Abiola (who was widely known as his close friend and confidant) to pick the then President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Paschal Bafyau, a Christian from present-day Adamawa State (Northwest Nigeria) as his running mate; but to the chagrin of IBB, Chief Abiola seemingly under pressure from some other quarters, picked Alhaji Kingibe instead. It was alleged that, from that moment, IBB refused to speak to or pick Chief Abiola’s telephone calls.

We all know how that “political experiment” ended and thus, Nigeria’s Third Republic was effectively aborted.

Fast-forward to preparations for the 2023 General Elections – a clear 30 years! The standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 Presidential election, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday, 10th of July, 2022, chose a fellow Muslim, Senator Kashim Ibrahim Shettima, the immediate past governor of Borno State (Northeast Nigeria) as his running mate.

This has generated heated debates and arguments all over the country as to the suitability of this choice bearing in mind the harsh economic, social and political realities of contemporary Nigeria where we are more than ever before divided along ethnic and religious lines.

Not a few people have seen the choice as being insensitive to our national fault lines. Some others see it as a selfish decision which is solely based on political expediency and has nothing to do with “competence” as explained by Asiwaju Tinubu as one of the reasons for his decision.

Many others, especially members of the ruling APC have hailed the choice of Senator Shettima as the Vice-presidential candidate of the APC as the “best”.

Surprisingly, some notable members of the APC both from the North and the South have resigned from the party as a protest to that decision. A prominent member of the party, Mr Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) has been very vocal in condemning the choice of Senator Shettima as Asiwaju Tinubu’s running mate.

Some elder statesmen like Chief E.K. Clark, a Niger Delta and Ijaw leader and Chief Ayo Adebanjo, an Afenifere leader have boldly come out to condemn the APC’s “Muslim-Muslim ticket”.

Whether this decision is good or bad, only time would tell.

Whether what happened in 1993 would repeat itself in 2023 (as some people are quick to predict), I am not clairvoyant and therefore cannot provide the answers; but one thing is certain, history has shown that no political decision ever taken in Nigeria is altruistic. It is always made to serve the interest of a certain few, by a few and only for that few.

In contemporary Nigeria, states that have predominantly Christian and Muslim population have found a way to balance political leadership in those states. If a Gubernatorial candidate is  Muslim, s/he would pick a Christian running mate; if the Gubernatorial candidate is a Christian, s/he would pick a Muslim running mate. Therefore, in such states, you will either see a Governor who is a Muslim and a Deputy Governor who is a Christian or vice versa This has resulted in harmonious co-existence of the major religions in those states thereby ensuring that there is peace and development.

Some examples are states of the Southwest including the “Centre of Excellence” – Lagos State. Some states in the North Central – Nasarawa, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi etc. Until recently, Kaduna in the Northwest. Some states in the Northeast – Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba etc.

It is instructive to note that, Nigeria’s current President, Muhammadu Buhari, in his quest to be Nigeria’s President in the Fourth Republic has always respected the ethno-religious and political balance of the country in his choice of running mates.

In 2003, while contesting for the presidency on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), he chose the late Dr Chuba Okadigbo, a Christian from Anambra State (Southeast Nigeria) as his running mate.

In 2007, he chose the late Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, a Christian from Anambra State as his running mate.

In 2011, while contesting on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), he chose Pastor Tunde Bakare from Ogun State (Southwest Nigeria) as his running mate.

In 2014, he resisted the temptation of a “Muslim-Muslim ticket” when Asiwaju Tinubu wanted to be his running mate for the 2015 Presidential election. This saw the emergence of the current Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo as President Buhari’s running mate.

This brief historical analysis is important to give us a perspective of where we are coming from and where we are heading to; because Nigerians have a right to make informed choices in 2023.

Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

By Chinemerem Nnawuihe

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