[ ] DOES THE CLOAK MAKE THE MONK?
Nigerians have been described as the most resilient people on earth but not just that, Nigerians also derive entertainment from almost every situation they find themselves. For instance, Tinubu's harsh tag "Emi lo kan" has raked in millions for some artists and advertisers and it is still trending on the streets and the market places. The late Fela Anikulapo Kuti once regarded Nigerians as suffering and smiling in one of his Afrobeat songs. I am not so convinced however if this our resilient nature is a plus because sometimes it looks like a minus as it indulges the excesses of our leaders or let's say political parties since they have failed so far to realise some of their mistakes or even show empathy for he pains of Nigerians because Nigerians just know how to make the best of every bad situation.
I have resisted every temptation so far to comment on the drama in the Nigerian political scene but the recent one at the unveiling of the APC Vice Presidential candidate has proven irresistible. I am still reeling with laughter at the ridiculous gimmick of the APC to convince Nigerians that at least thirty Christian clerics support the Muslim, Muslim tickets of the presidential and vice presidential candidates. Why the deceit? Why did the CAN deny knowing any of those so called Bishops if they were really authentic as APC has claimed? This move by the APC has been described as selfish and miscalculated and Nigerians who think the Muslim, Muslim tickets of the APC presidential and vice presidential candidates does not matter have been described as ignorant, and lacking an understanding of the Politics of Identity, Exclusion and Proximity. In case you don't know, Identity politics generally refers to a subset of politics in which groups of people with particular shared racial, religious, ethnic, social or cultural identity seek to promote their own specific interests or concerns while moving away from traditional broad-coalition party politics. It is not news to say that today Nigerians are extremely conscious of their ethnic slash religious affiliations more than ever before and the victimization of one ethnic or religious by another is more pronounced whenever it occurs. This is the same Nigeria where a great number of deaths of Christians have been recorded in recent time. One would then think that political parties would at least put all of these happening into consideration in choosing their candidates for the 2023 elections.
Therefore, as far as Nigerian Christians are concerned, a Muslim, Muslim ticket means that the interest of Christians may not be well served.
If the unity of Nigeria is to be protected at all cost, then the political stakeholders should be ready to adopt and implement some integrative ideology that could help foster the unity and cooperate existence of Nigeria, a Nigeria where everyone's interests will be considered.
