Nigeria’s politics and the cudgel of religion

It is an indisputable fact that Nigeria’s politics is today partly and sharply defined and driven by religion, and in the like manner, the country’s religion is no less inspired by politics. Another cogent definer of the country’s politics, in fact much more preponderant than religion, is ethnicity. Proffering justification and framework for these phenomenal trends, the thesis has been stretched and stressed that, in a multi-cultural, multi-religion and multi-ethnic society, cultural, social, ethnic and religious tectonic divisions   will inevitably find expressions in party formation, party affiliation and indeed voting behaviour. This consists in the Cleavage theory of politics and party formation in a plural society. Front lined in proposition by Seymour Lipset and Stein Rokkan, the theory stresses that, in plural societies, parties tend to be formed around the prevailing social forces of division which may be, ethnic, regional and religious and so also party identification or alignment by the electorate. Indeed, over the years, the trajectory of partisanship in Nigeria is not a departure from this thesis.In about one hundred years of party politics in the country, fierce ethnic competition has held sway while religious sentiments have been trailing it.

That both emotive variables have become tools in the hands of the governing and non- governing elites to perpetuate themselves in power and maintain themselves in the top echelon of the society is stating the obvious. While Nigerians are used to the card of ethnicity in the game of gaining political power, the elite have in recent times, chosen to set aside the constitutionally recognized secularity of the country and engage in deploying much more vigorously, the matter of faith in winning political souls and by extension votes. Indeed today, the matter of who gets what, when and how between Christian and Muslim adherents without even consideration for the traditional religions, has taken the front burner. A factor which ought to have taken a seat behind merit, concern for the welfare and suffering of the generality of the people, competency and patriotism has upstaged all these and has also become a source of intolerance, mutual disaffection, suspicion and catastrophic hate. Religious matters that did not count much in years back have gained in fire and brimstones.Acudgel of our politics! Religious meaning is today read into political and bureaucratic appointments; the matter of wearing hijab in public schools was fought by Muslims up to the Supreme Court level.

In 2014, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was to be the vice-president of President Muhammadu Buhari. But some members of their party, the All Progressive Congress rose against it because the duo were Muslims arguing and believing that, such a mono-religious ticket would offend the sensibility of the Christian faithful and weaken the party’s acceptability. The nays had their way as the party was scared of losing. But then, some people forgot that, in 1993 a Muslim-Muslim ticket in MKO Abiola/Babagana Kingibe won the race. Not a few are today scared by the argument that, religious sentiments have dangerously grown in wings. They are indeed right with evidence. Senator Bukola Saraki spearheaded this then in the APC. However, the cat was let out of the bag recently when Tinubu revealed that, Saraki brought up the argument to enable him, a Muslim, become the Senate president of the 7th National Assembly. This again confirms our position that religion has become a manipulative tool in the hands of Nigeria’s political merchants whom the masses hardly suspect.

Just as it happened in 1993, the party primaries of the APC have again thrown up a Muslim-Muslim pair for presidency-Tinubu/ Shettima. The intent of this essay is not to play saint advocacy for the APC, but to re-echo what Karl Marx had said about religion and struggle for power and to also sensitize opinion moulders to the need to forge a nascent basis of political realignment and party sympathy for the good of all. This much the Cleavage theorists have acknowledged, is a possibility. Karl Marx, a German philosopher and father of scientific socialism had said much about religion. But these few of his words about religion are very pertinent to the goal of this essay: “religion is the soul of the soulless conditions or opium of the people”. He pontificated further: “Religion in this world of exploitation is an expression of distress and at the same time a protest against the real distress. Religion in other words, continues to survive because of oppressive social conditions. When the oppressive and exploitative conditions are destroyed, religion will become unnecessary. “Marxist-Leninist in their humanist perception also stridently argued that, “…religion is an organ of bourgeoisie’s reaction used for the exploitation and the stupefaction of the working class”.

Karl Marx cannot be more correct when today in our country; the generality of the people take solace in religion in the face of insecurity, corruption and general economic doldrums. The masses have taken on the label of a patriotic and resilient people ascribed to them by the cunny, exploitative and manipulative power grabbers in the face of oppression and exploitation. Sad still, the political elite often deploy religion to divide the oppressed and pool wool over their eyes so that they may not be aware of the reality of their pitiable social conditions and fight for liberation. Sadder, today blood is split in our country in the name of religion. Religion that ought to be an instrument of peace, love, compassion, and an ideology of equitable sharing of communal resources, has become an instrument for fratricidal strife over who gets what, when and how or spoils of office. Worse still, adherents of the two major religions have become economic preys for their leaders. Double tragedy!

The debate over Muslim-Muslim ticket to me, is a distraction. What I believe should be our concern is how we can organise our political processes and voting behaviour around issues of equity, security, transparency and accountability in governance and life more abundant without offending our religious feelings. Nigerians need to raise a great team with minimal consideration for ethnic and religious sentiments. The state of Sri Lanka in Asia has just provided a perfect example of this line of thought. Formerly known as Ceylon, it is a fairly diverse country of 22 million people made of Sinhalese, Tamils, Chinese, and Indians among others. The Sinhalese ethnic stock is in the majority of about 70%.The dominant religion is Buddhism, practised mainly by the Sinhalese. Islam and other religions are in the minority. Years back, President Gotabaya Rajapaska rose to power on the crest of ethno-religious sentiments and also because of his prominent role in bringing the 26-year-old secessionist civil war with Tamil Tigers to an end. But today he has been found incapable and incompetent in ensuring the greatest happiness for the greatest number of Sri Lanka people. Thus, irrespective of their ethno-religious distinctions, few days ago, they rose to delegitimise the government by not merely calling for the resignation of the government but by also desecrating the Sri Lanka seat and bed of power publicly. They rallied round their common sufferings and united in action. This is the progressive path Nigerian electorate should toe.

Dr. Adebisi, a political scientist and adjunct Lecturer, writes from Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun state.