By Ernest Osogbue
In a season of political calculations, it has become necessary to situate events in their proper perspective, as politicians and mischief makers tend to go off on their mission of misinformation whenever our president is involved. The recent attendance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the inauguration of Pope Leo xiv, at St. Peter’s Bassilica in Rome is indeed worthy of commendation and appreciation by all advocates of religious tolerance in our country. Irrespective of whether you like the Tinubu economic policies or not, the point remains that religious intolerance and tribal divisions are the twin problems preventing our nation from living up to the maxim “One Nation Under God.”
A careful tracing of most of the challenges that have bedeviled Nigeria since independence, would reveal that they were either due to religious bigotry on the one hand or tribal intolerance on the other. It follows, therefore, that any effort made by persons in political office to show tolerance in tribal or religious issues must be commended. We must, therefore, appreciate President Tinubu for this gesture. In the same manner, I wish to point out the efforts of Governor Mohammed Bargo of Niger State in this regard. I was stunned recently to see Governor Bargo belting out praise and worship songs and prayers to Almighty God inside a Church. We must not forget that President Tinubu and Governor Bargo are both devout Moslems. What a wonderful thing it would be if Christians and Moslems across Nigeria could emulate these two great leaders.
As a Nigerian, I have always believed that religious tensions in our country would be greatly reduced if political leaders could take the first step in demonstrating religious tolerance. It is on this note that I wish to personally appreciate President Tinubu and Governor Bargo for their foresight and courage in ignoring the backlash from religious bigots in making these moves. We must remember that prior to the 2023 elections, religion was a big issue. President Buhari had been perceived as a religious bigot, bent on Islamizing Nigeria. His detractors had pointed at his appointments across board, which seemed to favor Moslems against Christians. On top of that, attacks and killings in Christian communities in Kaduna, Plateau, and Benue States were at their highest under the Buhari administration. There was, therefore, a groundswell of Christian opposition against President Buhari in the twilight of his presidency.
This was the scenario when candidate Tinubu, as he then was, decided to run for president on a Moslem-Moslem ticket, to the chagrin of Christians. Christians in the country, therefore, rightly mobilized against the Tinubu-Shettima ticket out of a righteous fear for their faith. Alas, two years into the Tinubu administration, religious tensions have seemingly been doused in our country. Christians have been given opportunities that they were denied under President Buhari. The fear of the Moslem-Moslem ticket and the correlating fear of the official Islamization agenda have therefore been reduced to mere propaganda.
Be that as it may, however, there appears to still be some resistance to the efforts of the president and others towards religious harmony in our country. Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, was on a popular television station recently, lambasting the president for being in Rome for the Papal inauguration. In the same vein, much capital has been made by mischief makers of the cordial encounter between Peter Obi, a political opponent, and President Tinubu, in Rome. Many mischievous stories have been brewed out of it, with a view to further drive a political and religious wedge between our peoples.
While no one can deny the economic challenges into which President Tinubu’s policies have thrown Nigerians, it must equally be noted, that marginal wins by the administration must be commended. As much as we criticize and implore the government to introduce policies with a human face, it is relevant not to throw the baby out with the bath water. It is on this note that I wish to call on Nigerians to remember that presidents come and go, but Nigeria, our country, will always remain. We must, therefore, remain vigilant at all times and make efforts to resist the ploy by the agents of destabilization to put a wedge between us. Commending President Tinubu for being in Rome does not stop anyone from voting against him in 2027. What we desire is a prosperous, peaceful, and united Nigeria. Any effort made by anyone to achieve these goals must therefore be appreciated, irrespective of whether we like the person or not.
