Politicians on the other hand should not drag religious leaders into the political fray, nor polarize Nigerians along religious divides for their selfish interest. It is instructive that Nigerians have over time demonstrated that though religion has the capacity to divide and hurt the nation, they can handle it.
Politicians are at it again, campaigning for various offices in the general election, and in the process dragging religion into politics. Nothing can be scarier than that if we draw from past antecedents as a nation. Nigerians find it hard to live with ethnically-coloured politics, but are even more frightened when religion is added to the equation, because it whips up the highest emotion in the land. There are people whose perspectives are based entirely on religion. They either accept or reject you because of your religion. This would not matter too much however, if not that politicians are exploiting this fault line for political gains. They are not bothered that once the fire starts, it is very difficult to quench. They do not worry that innocent people end up losing their lives because of religion. Nigeria can burn to ashes, for all they care; or so it seems in their political calculations.
Already among members of the two leading political parties contesting for the Presidency, religion has been a topic of discussion. As the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) continue their desperate media war ahead of the elections, religion has taken the driver’s seat. The APC has consistently been accused of having a Muslim bias. It has been allegedly “positioned” by the PDP as the Nigerian equivalent of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. Meanwhile, APC chieftains have also reportedly described the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as a wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This Newspaper is worried that religion is now an instrument to canvass for votes in the nation’s political-mix. We acknowledge that religion has become the opium of the masses in the light of excruciating poverty created by bad leadership and the lack of basic infrastructure. This has necessitated unalloyed submission to the whims and caprices of most religious leaders. Now, given the popularity of religion amongst the people, it is therefore not surprising that the politicians are following the electorate to the churches and mosques.
The resultant effect, as it is now manifesting ahead of the February 14, 2015 presidential election, is the abuse of the pulpit, as preachers not only play God now, but also give all manners of prophecy, predictions and prayers for the contestants and about the election outcome. However, there is the need for moderation and care in mixing religion with politics. Religious leaders ought to stick to their callings; providing spiritual food and edification for their followers to grow in faith and belief. It is not their lot to delve into politics. Politics and leadership should be left for the politicians and those who aspire to political offices. Importantly, religious leaders should stop misleading their followers, just as their use of the pulpit for politics is highly condemnable. Besides, it is difficult to tell if their so-called political prophecies are true revelations of God, altruistic or laden with ulterior motives. Religious leaders must also know that followers could see their statements as sacrosanct. Therefore, they should be mindful of statements, which do not respect the constitutional rights of their members in the exercise of their franchise.
Politicians on the other hand should not drag religious leaders into the political fray, nor polarize Nigerians along religious divides for their selfish interest. It is instructive that Nigerians have over time demonstrated that though religion has the capacity to divide and hurt the nation, they can handle it. The facts of history tell no less. Muslims have overwhelmingly supported Christians and vice versa as shown in the previous elections in the country. This calls for optimism that leading Nigerians into unholy religious war in politics would be a futile exercise. As the 2015 elections beckon, Nigerians owe it a duty to shut up those who deliberately go out to whip up religious sentiment for selfish purposes.
