Obasanjo replies Buhari: Muslim-Muslim ticket dangerous for Nigeria
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo
A
former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has warned political
parties and their leaders against the idea of fielding either
Muslim-Muslim or Christian-Christian as presidential and
vice-presidential candidates for the February 14, 2014 election.
He
said in a terse statement made available to journalists in Abeokuta,
Ogun State on Sunday that such idea was dangerous given the current
happenings in the polity.
Although he
made no mention of any political party or politician in the statement,
he appeared to have alluded to an All Progressive Congress presidential
aspirant, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s comment on Saturday that he was
not opposed to a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Obasanjo’s
statement read, “Sensitivity is a necessary ingredient for enhancement
of peace, security and stability at this point in the political
discourse and arrangement for Nigeria and for encouraging confidence and
trust.
“It will be insensitive to the
point of absurdity for any leader or any political party to be toying
with Muslim- muslim or Christian-Christian ticket at this juncture.
“Nigeria
cannot at this stage raise the spectre and fear of Islamisation or
Christianisation. The idea of proselytisation in any form is a grave
danger that must not be contemplated by any serious-minded politician at
this delicate situation in Nigeria, as this time is different from any
other time.
“Therefore, disregarding
the fact that there are fears that need to be allayed at this point will
amount not only to insensitivity of the highest order but will also
amount to very bad politics indeed.”
Buhari had in an interview published on Saturday by an online newspaper, TheCable, said he had an open mind on a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
The
presidential aspirant argued that he had shown in the past that he was
not a religious fundamentalist by picking Christians as his running
mates. His former running mates are a former Senate President Chuba
Okadigbo (late); an ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Edwin
Ume-Ezeoke (late) and Tunde Bakare.
He
had said, “Nigerians will always uncover impossible room for manoeuvre
for politicians. I had to face one of the governors during one of our
party’s meetings [over the issue of religion].
“In
2003, I chose Okadigbo as my running mate. He was a Roman Catholic. He
was an Igbo. In 2007, I picked Ume-Ezeoke. He was a Roman Catholic. He
was an Igbo. And in 2010, I chose even a pastor. Pastor Tunde Bakare.
“Honestly, what do Nigerians want me to do? If they don’t believe I’m not a fundamentalist, what else can I do?”
He
added that the late MKO Abiola, a southern Muslim, picked Babagana
Kingibe, a northern Muslim, as his running mate in the 1993 presidential
election.
The Muslim-Muslim ticket won the election generally considered as the fairest and freest election in Nigeria.
Buhari
is believed to be looking in the direction of Lagos State Governor
Babatunde Fashola, who is also a muslim, as his running mate.
Fashola had since distanced himself from reports that he might be Buhari’s running mate.
When
contacted, the Director-General, Buhari Support Group, Alhaji Umaru
Dembo, said, ‘‘I do know the context in which what was said was said. So
many people have been trying to cast the APC in a religious garb. What I
can say is that when the issue of the ticket is decided, the party will
look at other issues. Right now, talking about the running mate is a
distraction.’’
The APC National
Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, however, told one of our
correspondents that it had “noted” Obasanjo’s advice.
He
said, “We appreciate the fact that the problem confronting our nation
today is one that requires a patriotic Nigerian who has the capacity and
competence to deal with. We however note the former President’s
advice.”
Mohammed added that the party
had always pledged to be guided by the 1999 Constitution and its
guidelines in taking decisions on issues that affect the generality of
Nigerians.
“What we’ve always said is
that our party will be guided by the constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, and will be guided also by our own guidelines and
also will be guided by what we believe is in the best interest of
Nigerians,” he said.
The APC had lost
some of its prominent members who claimed that the party leadership was
planning to field Muslim-Muslim candidates for the 2015 presidential
election.
The National Publicity
Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, said the party had decided to keep
off religious issues and focus on politics.
“At
this point in time, due to what is happening in the nation, the PDP has
refrained from commenting on religious matters. We want to keep
religion out of politics. We are focused on politics. We do not want to
make comments on religion,” Metuh added.
The
ruling PDP has already endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan, a
Christian as its presidential candidate. Vice-President Namadi Sambo, a
Muslim whom the PDP leadership described as a member of its winning
team, may still run as Jonathan’s deputy.
APC, PDP legislators, others disagree
However, the caucuses of the PDP and APC in the House of Representatives differed on the issue.
The
Minority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the character of
the presidential candidates should be the focus and not the religion.
He explained that Nigeria could have “all-Muslim” candidates or “all-Christian candidates.”
Gbajabiamila added, “For us, it doesn’t matter whether it is a Muslim-Muslim ticket or Christian-Christian ticket.
“What people are looking out for is development and good governance.
“We should be looking at the character of the person and what he can offer, not his religion.”
But, the PDP caucus praised Obasanjo for bringing the issue to the fore.
The Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, said members were in support of Obasanjo.
“The former President spoke well. We are totally in support of what he has said.”
A former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Shuaib Oyedokun, also commended Obasanjo for the statement.
Oyedokun
said, “This statement from him is commendable. We must however be
reminded that Nigerian had done this in the last by fielding
Muslim/Muslim ticket.
“We must know
that there are some states in both the South and the North that are
either predominately Christians or Muslims and because of this, it would
be difficult to do balancing.”
In the
Senate, Kabiru Marafa said it was “left for the parties to design their
permutations for winning elections and for Nigerians to say yes or no
to them during the polls.”
Marafa recalled that the late Abiola and Kingibe, both Muslims, contested for election on the same platform.
“They
ran together and their election is still a point of reference in
Nigeria. There was no crisis. In fact, people voted overwhelmingly for
them across the country,” he said.
The
lawmaker argued that it would “have been better if the former
President had advised his own party not to do so because of the fear of
losing an election.”
Also, Senator
Boluwaji Kunlere, said that Obasanjo “should avoid such advice now
especially when a political party is already being accused of bringing
about a religious agenda.”
A
Lagos-based lawyer, Fred Agbaje, said while he agreed that “Obasanjo’s
pronouncement on any major nation issue cannot be ignored,” he
(Obasanjo) “should not arrogate to himself, the title of Mr.
Know-it-all.”
Agbaje said, “What is
Obasanjo saying? Haven’t Nigerians voted Muslim-Muslim ticket before
even though the power-that-be did not allow it to stand? What Nigerians
need are competent leaders, and they could be Muslim-Muslim,
Christian-Christian, female-female, male-male, male-female or
female-male.
“Nigerians need leaders
that will solve many of the nation’s socio-economic woes, unemployment,
corruption, armed robbery, kidnapping and the general state of
insecurity in the country.
“Obasanjo should not see himself as the only person having the panacea to the nation’s problems.”
However,
the Trade Union Congress advised the political class to avoid any
controversial issue such as a Muslim/Muslim or Christian/Christian
ticket.
