RELIGION AND ETHNIC POLITICS IN NIGERIA; ENEMIES OF DEMOCRACY
Political discussions in Nigeria are hardly made without
bringing religion or ethnic affiliations to bear. The different religions and cultures,
out of which we derive our values and heritage, are the things that define us a
people.
However, if we do not separate these factors from governance, they may
as well constitute our own destruction. Majority of the developmental challenges
we are faced with as a nation may not be entirely because of individuals or the
political party in power but basically because we are polarized along ethnic
and religious lines.
These divisions most often give rise to self-centeredness and
quest for superiority which graduates into shear hatred and fervent desire to decimate
each other. This is the situation we are faced with right now in our country
where issues like the ravaging fulani herdsmen era and the fuel subsidy is being
greatly politicized. The irony of the subsidy imbroglio is that the same people
who mobilized Nigerians against its removal in 2012 by the then administration
of President Goodluck Jonathan have suddenly seen the need to support the move
by the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration. In some parts of the
north, youths have already mobilized themselves to the streets, chanting war
songs and openly declaring their support for the removal of fuel subsidy. However,
in some parts of southern Nigeria, others are having counter protests with the
most intriguing being that of a former labour leader turned Bishop, who staged
a lone protest in Osun.
Religious, regional and ethnic sentiments from politicians
and their supporters often characterize election campaigns and in most cases
are responsible for post-election violence in the country. If not for the
gentleman nature of former President Goodluck Jonathan who conceded defeat even
though reports of irregularities in voting processes persisted across the
nation, we would still be battling to restore peace in Nigeria. With the recent zoning of the 2019
presidential ticket to the North by Nigerian’s main opposition party, Peoples Democratic
Party, one would expect that the spate of sentiments which characterized the last
general elections will be greatly reduced in 2019.
Sometimes in solitude, those atrocious memories of the 2011
post- elections violence relive in my mind. I would walk around my county neighborhood
hearing some of the comments that instigated crises in some parts of the
country and those that would have caused baboons and dogs to be soaked in blood
in 2015. The sad truth is, religion and ethnicity have taken over our polity. For
fear of being labeled a traitor, people shy away from speaking out against
anomalies in government policies or public office holders because they are
either bounded by a particular religion or ethnicity. If the passions of sentiments
and nepotism which had already been inflamed in our politics are not discouraged,
another civil war may be inevitable. History
must not only be recounted, it must be allowed to direct the future positively.
It must be indicated, however, that such possibility can only become a reality
when we fail to learn from our history and others.
To remedy the malady of sentimental politics in Nigeria, a
holistic approach of equitable distribution of power, developmental projects
must me prioritized and this is what true democracy should be about. The
seriousness or sluggishness with which this issue is tackled can extinguish or
aggravate the problems of insurgency and militancy across the nation. Also, the
media have the responsibility of making sure that they are very circumspect in
their reportage. It is not every inciting speech or report that must be aired,
no matter how exciting it makes the programme to be. We must promote our unity
in diversity. The strength of every nation depends on how united her people
are. Our diversity must not be used by politicians as a tool to bring about our
adversities. Rather, it should help us see each tribe as unique in her own
ways. When this culture is imbibed, the sense of superiority will be destroyed and
we will continue to coexist peacefully as one nation.
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