by Uchechukwu Okoroafor, Abuja
The 2023 presidential election divided Nigerians more than ever before. And weeks after the flawed election as confirmed by local and international observers, the country is yet to get over the divisions.
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Ahead of the election the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and now presidential-elect, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said that his time has come to administer Nigeria. He submitted that his time is now to rule Nigeria, having worked for so many people in achieving their political aspirations and also the time for Yoruba to produce a president.
In line with the ethnicization of the election, the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, before the election urged the Yoruba people to see the aspiration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as their priority to enable him actualise his dream of becoming Nigeria’s president in 2023.
However, Sanwo-Olu, who made the plea while speaking as a special guest of honour at the grand finale of the 2022 edition of Ojude-Oba Festival, held in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, said there was more to benefit by Nigeria and Nigerians if Tinubu becomes the next president in 2023.
According to him, “Let me use this opportunity to make this rallying call on all true sons and daughters of the Yoruba race and pronounce that in the unifying spirit of the Ojude Oba celebration, it is my firm hope and belief that the Yoruba race will unite as one behind the momentous candidature of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a proud son of the race and one of the most formidable and experienced politicians to have ever emerged from Africa. Yoruba lo’ kan! Asiwaju lo’ kan!”
As part of the divisions created by politicians especially by the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu, Nigerian Islamic preacher, Abdulmutallab Mohammed Auwal, has charged Muslims to consider the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its Muslim/Muslim ticket as a call to Jihad.
At a special prayer session organised by Muslim clerics in Kano, Northwest, Nigeria, for the success of Bola Tinubu’s candidacy, Auwal informed that the Tinubu/Shettima’s Muslim/Muslim ticket had defined the supremacy of Islam.
He, accordingly urged all Muslim voters, to overwhelmingly vote the Tinubu/Shettima, Muslim/Muslim ticket on the day of election.
“This meeting was convened by our group, Islamic Preachers and we’ve invited about 75 Muslim groups, including the Kaduna State Izala and the Jos (Plateau state) Izala, the Salafiya, Kadariya, IMWAN, Muslims in Da’awa, Women in Da’awa. Also here are groups like Yoruba and Igbo Muslim groups. Last but not the least, we have here the Kano Imams’ group.
“The import of today’s sitting is to let the clerics and indeed all Muslim leaders know that the Muslim/Muslim ticket is not about mere promises of bringing dividends of democracy like road and infrastructure. This ticket is about the supremacy of Islam. This ticket has honoured Islam. Therefore, we’ll honour it with our ballots.
“Furthermore, remember that a Muslim is always better than an infidel. What more of two Muslims combined? This informed why we undertook to create this awareness and to let all of us know that this Muslim/Muslim ticket is a jihad call to all Muslims,” Auwal said.
Another cleric, who is the leader of Izala sect in Kano, Sheikh Abdallah Saleh Pakistan, disclosed that Tinubu had over a long time promoted the enthronement of a Muslim/Muslim candidate.
He said, “We’ve discussed extensively on how this candidate (Tinubu) has for a long time strived to actualise the Muslim/Muslim ticket.
“He paired Nuhu Ribadu with a Muslim Yoruba back then and was also instrumental to the Abiola/Kingibe, Muslim/Muslim ticket.”
On his part, Kano State governor, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, asserted that the Tinibu/Shettima ticket would be supported by all Muslims, insisting that the practice was not new in the country.
“Muslim/Muslim ticket is not new to Nigeria. The Abiola/Kingibe Muslim/Muslim was overwhelmingly voted Muslims and it succeeded. Unfortunately a military junta nullified the victory. Another opportunity is here and thank God we’re now in democracy; no one can annul the election,” Ganduje averred.
Long before he emerged as APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu had in 2022 urged the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in the country to create the department of political affairs to create political awareness among faithful towards producing a Muslim president in 2023.
Speaking at the Annual National Conference and Pre-Ramadan meeting of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN), held at GMT hotel, Osogbo, Osun state, the former Lagos State Governor said Muslims cannot afford to be left behind in political participation nationwide.
Tinubu, AtikuWhile soliciting the congregation’s support towards realising his presidential bid, Tinubu, who was represented by an aide, Tunde Badmus, stressed the need to ensure that Muslims, like other groups must ensure that followers participate in the country’s political process effectively.
He said, “Other religious groups have commenced political sensitisation by creating political departments or directorate among themselves to promote their own. You should create a political wing among yourself so that it will further gear your participation in politics, it will be a good platform to support your brothers who are vying for political positions.
“There is a need for us to act toward our prayers, the emergence of a good leader but we need to partake in political activities. Almighty Allah answers our prayer through our actions so while praying let us act towards it.
“Through the president of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, I will visit all states of this nation. I can’t be opportune to see all Muslims in Nigeria but through the Muslim leaders, we can make it happen.”
Addressing journalists, the Secretary-General of the council, Sheikh Nafiu Baba Ahmed, said the meeting was aimed at setting agenda for scholars’ sermons in the month of Ramadan towards encouraging the masses to actively take part in the political process.
Recall also that former vice president Atiku Abubakar said before the election that what the country needs is a northern president, not Igbo or Yoruba president. The former vice president, made the comment at an interactive session of the Arewa Townhall Policy Dialogue in Kaduna.
“I have traversed the whole of this country,” Atiku said.
“I know the whole of this country. I have built bridges across this country. I think what the average northerner needs is somebody who is from the north, who also understands the other parts of Nigeria, and who has been able to build bridges across the rest of the country.
“This is what the northerner needs. He (the northerner) doesn’t need a Yoruba candidate or an Igbo candidate. This is what the northerner needs. I stand before you as a pan-Nigerian of northern origin.”
Ahead of the 2023 elections, the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi was the only candidate who called on Nigerians to vote for candidates who have conscience and trust.
Speaking at the National Convention of the Assemblies of God Nigeria at Okpoto, Ebonyi State, the former Anambra State governor, urged eligible voters to weigh all candidates to know their abilities. He urged Nigerians not to vote for candidates based on where they come from or the language they speak but should vote for competence.
He said, “Put all of us on a scale; let’s know who we are; let’s ask questions about who we are; let’s verify who we are.
“Don’t say: Because Peter Obi is from the South East, I will vote for him. Do not vote for me because I’m an Igbo man. Don’t vote for anybody because he is from the West. Do not vote for anybody because he’s from the North. This is time to vote for a human being who has conscience and trust”.
On February 25, 2023 Nigerians went to the poll to elect a president. The election was marred by irregularities as attested to by local and international observers. On March 1, 2023, after days of technical glitches, Bola Tinubu, candidate for the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) party, was declared the winner of the 2023 Nigerian presidential election with many believing strongly that he did not meet the constitutional requirements to be declared a winner.
Atiku, ObiFollowing Bola Tinubu’s declaration as president-elect by INEC even when he is alleged not to have met the constitutional requirement to be so declared, vice presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, recently warned that Nigeria’s democracy was under threat unless steps were taken to address the flaws that saw the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaring All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, as winner.
He claimed Nigeria has no president-elect given the irregularities and breach of the Electoral Act and Constitution of Nigeria in declaring Tinubu winner.
He warned that democracy could end on May 29, 2023 if Tinubu, who he claimed had not met the constitutional provisions to be declared winner of the February 25 poll, is inaugurated.
Baba-Ahmed who spoke on a national television programme, alleged that the Certificate of Return issued to Tinubu was a dead certificate as it was against the provisions of Section 134 of the 1999 Constitution, which states that anybody that would be declared president-elect must win 25 per cent of votes cast in at least two-thirds of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“As it is, Tinubu did not get 25 per cent votes in the FCT, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar did not get 25 per cent votes in the FCT, Labour Party is the only one that scored 25 per cent votes in the FCT; we had 61 per cent votes. As it is in Nigeria, there is no president-elect. An unconstitutional government must never be sworn in because that will be the end of democracy. This democracy will end on May 29 the way we are going.”
The LP vice presidential candidate also decried the entire process of the polls saying it fell below standard. He claimed LP won the presidential election but was denied by INEC.
“We came third according to the figures released by INEC, but in reality we came first. It is unfortunate, tragic that all promises that were made were dashed,” he said.
He blamed INEC for sitting by and watch electoral laws flouted during the electioneering process.
The assertions by Datti Baba-Ahmed did not settle well with some Nigerians, notable among them Prof Wole Soyinka. Prof. Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, condemned the comments made by vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, about the outcome of the presidential election held on February 25, noting that it’s unbecoming.
Speaking on Wednesday, March 22nd, Datti Baba-Ahmed, called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief Justice of Nigeria not to swear in Bola Tinubu, whom INEC declared as the president-elect, insisting that declaring Tinubu a winner and issuing him a certificate of return was against the constitution.
Soyinka, while reacting to the interview, as well as a N5 million fine for the TV station, described the remarks as a “kind of do-or-die attitude and provocation” that goes contrary to democratic disposition.
Soyinka said the LP vice-presidential candidate tried to “dictate to the supreme arbiter of the nation”, adding that it was unacceptable.
“I have never heard anyone threaten the judiciary on television the way Datti did. I heard the kind of menacing, blackmailing language as that to which we were treated by Datti. That kind of do-or-die attitude and provocation is not what I think we have all been struggling for,” Soyinka said.
“Nearly the totality of Datti’s comment in the interview was unbecoming. It was like trying to dictate to the supreme arbiter of the nation, and whatever you think of the supreme court, it is an institution we all refer to sooner or later.
“But Datti kept saying, in his wisdom, that the supreme court must agree with me. That is what is known as fascistic language and it is not acceptable.”
The revered poet’s position on Datti’s utterances, however, did not go down well with many supports of the LP’s presidential candidate and his vice, even as they dragged Soyinka on social media.
Giving a reply to these criticisms and the conduct of Datti Baba-Ahmed, Soyinka in a statement titled “Fascism on Course”, noted that Nigerian Democracy 2023 has witnessed innovations largely in the retrogressive vein, as violence, ethnic profiling and intimidation continue to be easily overlooked even as they are directed against dissenting voices.
He went on to challenge the LP’s vice presidential candidate to a debate as regards his claims of Nigeria’s democracy ending if Tinubu is sworn in come May 29th.
Weeks after the general election and the aggrieved in court, the division and acrimony caused by the elections persist. Those adding fuel to fire include former minister of Aviation and one the spokespersons of the ruling APC, Femi Fani-Kayode who takes to Twitter daily to insult opposition parties presidential candidates especially the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi. In one of his tirades against the Igbos in Lagos, Fani-Kayode, who is Yoruba wrote that people claiming Lagos is a no man’s land had been humiliated and finally taught the lesson of their lives by voters in a ‘peaceful, free and fair election.’
Similarly, the media director of the President-elect, Bayo Onanuga, said 2023 should be the last time Igbos would interfere with politics in Lagos State. Onanuga warned that Igbos should not interfere in Lagos State politics in 2027. He noted that Lagos State is like Anambra, Imo, and other states in Nigeria.
election violenceIn a tweet, Onanuga stressed that Lagos is not a no man’s land as claimed by Igbos before the governorship election.
“Let 2023 be the last time of Igbo interference in Lagos politics. Let there be no repeat in 2027. Lagos is like Anambra, Imo, any Nigerian state. It is not No Man’s Land, not Federal Capital Territory. It is Yoruba land. Mind your business,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile the International Criminal Court (ICC), recently formally acknowledged receipt of a petition written by Prof. Gideon Christian to investigate election and post-election violence in Nigeria as well as alleged incitement to ethnic hate by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the Media Director of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.