By Rasheed Abubakar, Abdullahi Abdulganiy and AbdulMumin AbdulQadir
When on July 10, 2022, former Lagos State Governor, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared Senator Kashim Shettima as his running mate in the 2023 presidential race, little did he know that his choice will not only anger some members of his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, but also generate uproar and outrage among Nigerians, particularly members of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.
The announcement of his running mate came barely a month after Tinubu escaped subtle plots orchestrated by some party members to scheme him out of the presidential primary, which he eventually won, garnering more than half of the total votes to beat his rivals – which included Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, one of his mentees and allies, who once served as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice during Tinubu’s two-term tenure as Lagos State Governor between 1999 and 2007.
As explained by Tinubu and his party on several occasions, the choice of Shettima was purely based on political expediency and was not on religious consideration. An APC chieftain, Orji Uzor Kalu was quoted as saying those who kicked against Shettima’s choice only want APC to lose the election. “Tinubu is a minority from the South, do they want us to lose the election by picking another minority who cannot win votes in the North?” he said.
Senator Tinubu, widely credited with reshaping Lagos, the country’s commercial hub is a Muslim from Southwest Nigeria, while Shettima, a Kanuri man and two-term Governor of Borno State, is also a Muslim from Northeast Nigeria.
Nigeria 2023 #Election: How Tinubu emerged Nigeria's president-elect against all odds
– Bury political, other divides and work with me in building a greater country', #Tinubu tells opposition
Aisha Yesufu | Chief of Staff | Ngige | Seyi Tinubu Nairaland | WE WON THE ELECTION pic.twitter.com/IX1YrpBUJu
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) March 2, 2023
Although political analysts and observers saw Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket as a reminder of Abiola-Kinigbe’s in 1993, others argued that unlike then, Nigeria’s current political landscape is volatile and unripe for such choice, saying ethno-religious sentiments have come to define our politics more than ever.
For a person who just put up a great fight to emerge his party’s standard bearer at the primary, the new battle thrown up by the same-faith ticket created uncertainty for him in the journey to the presidency as he was roundly criticised, especially those who had thought they would be the beneficiary, should Tinubu pick a Northern minority Christian.
It all started with his erstwhile supporters who stood against his choice of the ticket.
Former allies like one-time Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; a lawyer, Dr. Daniel Bwala, among others voiced against the choice of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, with many of them withdrawing their support for Tinubu, and teaming up with the Christian Association of Nigeria to openly and discreetly undermine the realisation of Tinubu’s ambition.
The former governor was also harshly opposed within the ranks of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party, as they took advantage of the development, describing the same-faith ticket as divisive and lack of respect for the Christian group.
For instance, the PDP presidential flagbearer, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, said in an interview with Arise TV on Friday, July 22, “The Muslim-Muslim ticket has always been my fundamental disagreement. Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, and there should be a religious balance in our leadership. It is unwelcoming and unripe for Nigeria as a democratic state.”
The battle against the Muslim-Muslim ticket cascaded through various Christian political leaders and groups as they openly campaigned against Asiwaju Tinubu and called their followers to reject the APC presidential candidate.
Some of the clergymen who used their pulpits to condemn the Muslim-Muslim ticket include, Bishop Mathew Kukah, Pastor David Abioye, Pastor Sam Ayedogbon, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor E A Adeboye and others.
Kukah said in an appearance on national TV, “I think that as a Christian, this (Muslim-Muslim ticket) is totally reprehensible and is not acceptable to me because of the sort of the decision the APC has made. When the campaign starts, we’ll hear what people have to say, but it has just laid the foundation for what has taken us back after the kind of progress that we made in terms of national integration.”
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF #Tinubu wins #Nigeria's presidential election despite ethno-religious gang up
– Pulls off biggest upset against #PeterObi's christian, Igbo dominated LP
'#Emilokan (It is my turn) actually' – President-elect#electionresults2023 #INECElectionResult pic.twitter.com/TZbCR6aXzJ
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) March 1, 2023
Also weighing in, Pastor Abioye who is the deputy of Bishop David Oyedepo and Vice President of Living Faith Church Worldwide urged Christians to reject the APC for its Muslim-Muslim ticket, warning that members who violate his instruction will go to hell.
“You mean all the Christian northerners are dummies? To now say that there is no competent northern Christian is an insult and such a statement must be withdrawn. Otherwise, what they are saying to you is, to ‘your tent o Israel’, they are drawing the line,” the pastor was quoted as saying.
Hostility against the Muslim-Muslim ticket thickened with many critics who had thought the pressure will ultimately force APC to bow to pressure, but Asiwaju Tinubu, a successful accountant, remained firm and resolute.
The Christian community did not spare Tinubu from criticisms despite Asiwaju’s marriage to a born-again Christian and senior pastor of Nigeria’s biggest Church, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Senator Oluremi Tinubu. The 37-year-old marriage is blessed with children who are also Christians.
Muslim News findings revealed that Tinubu, the Jagaban of Borgu Kingdom was also criticised by some sections of the Nigerian pro-Christian media in their editorials as well as newspaper columnists who condemned the Muslim-Muslim ticket. They said the present Nigeria is different from that of Abiola-Kinigbe’s era when the same-faith ticket was embraced, explaining that religious fault lines had not been so sharp then.
Fellow Nigerians, have we now agreed that the 'Islamisation agenda' is a scam? It's a campaign of calumny led by Christian leaders! Thus, come out en masse on Saturday to vote another Muslim president. If @MBuhari doesn't do enough, another one will do better. #NigeriaDecides2023 pic.twitter.com/nGdC45cdtc
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) February 23, 2023
Muslim News reliably gathered that the Muslim community was also divided. While some saw Tinubu as a liberal Muslim who does not perfectly represent Islam; others posited that Islam doesn’t support and call to tribalism.
These added to the forces against Tinubu, as some Muslims pushed for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso of the People’s Democratic Party and New Nigeria People’s Party, whom they believe also deserve Muslim votes.
However, a large number of Muslims rallied behind Tinubu with the argument that he is the first Muslim from the southwest after the late MKO Abiola, winner of the annulled 1993 presidential election, to vie for the presidency. They pledged their support for him regardless of his level of Islamic understanding and faith.
For instance, unlike previous elections, MUSWEN, an umbrella body for all Muslims in the Southwest region of Nigeria refused to sit on the fence, as the body openly declared support for Tinubu.
While this argument raged on, the opposition party which had settled for a northern Muslim, Alhaji Atiku was also facing its own challenge. Many of its stalwarts had condemned the party for making the former vice president its flagbearer, insisting power should shift to the South since a northerner (President Muhammadu Buhari) is exiting the presidency after eight years in office. Chief among them are Messrs Nyesom Wike and Seyi Makinde, the Executive Governors of Rivers and Oyo States, among others.
‘Why we endorsed Tinubu/Shettima’, #MSSN A-Zone clarifies
… Says It’s Muslim-Muslim Ticket; no retreat, no surrender for presidency
Read full story >> https://t.co/PxaPiEynqF #NigeriaDecides2023
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) February 23, 2023
This medium learned that Mr. Peter Obi, an erstwhile chieftain of PDP, left the party on this basis, crossing to Labour Party (LP). Obi’s defection to the Labour Party would later change the whole political dynamics and pattern. It made the race fiercer because youths were already rallying support for him as their new face and a new hero. His Igbo kinsmen, many of whom are cessationists – Biafra sympathisers and agitators, also supported his bid; just as the Christian community, across all the regions, including Southwest were directed in their churches to vote for Obi.
Obi is the only Christian out of the four leading presidential candidates of political parties. Many who had always given their votes to PDP and even APC sided with Obi in what they now saw as an ideological shift and ethno-religious war.
Obi played up sentiments, posturing as incorruptible and ascetic, and eventually, the young population bought into it, thereby widening his support base as they mobilised for him on and off social media.
While the Muslim community endeavoured to caution their members over partisan politics – a case of the National MSSN, the largest Muslim students body in Nigeria, the Christians neither hid their hatred for Tinubu nor their support for Peter Obi. Some pastors announced various prophecies of Obi winning the election, which turned out to be false. The race became so fierce and hot and turned out to be Muslims vs Christians.
During the presidential election of Saturday, February 25, Muslim News can confirm that many Christians heeded the calls of their leaders as observed in the voting pattern, with Obi gaining support from Christian, Igbo-dominated areas, albeit with the votes of some Yoruba Muslims and youths who participated in or supported the 2020 End SARS protest to end police brutality. Consequently, Asiwaju lost Lagos State, his stronghold to Obi’s Labour Party hurricane. Support for APC also shrank significantly in places like Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina, among others.
It's become glaring from the #2023Election results seen so far across the regions, whether we accept it or not, that voting as been along religious and ethnic lines. A reminder that the two cannot be separated from our politics in Nigeria #NigeriaElections2023 #NigeriaDecides2023 pic.twitter.com/PfeBWDA0dd
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) February 26, 2023
However, Asiwaju was able to get support from some Christian-dominated areas in the southwest, perhaps due to the Yoruba-southwest Agenda. For instance, the APC presidential candidate carried the day in Ekiti and Ondo respectively.
As the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu began the announcement of results at the International Conference Center (ICC) Abuja Collation Centre, with the APC presidential candidate leading, Obi’s Labour Party, Atiku’s PDP, and eight other political party agents on Monday staged joint protest against the continued declaration of results, alleging high-handedness and total disregard to their feelings by the Commission’s chair.
Yakubu, however, chose to move on with the collation of results having clarified that he had not violated the law, urging those with evidence to the contrary to approach the law court.
At the end of collation in the early hours of Wednesday, March 1, the INEC chief declared Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election, pulling a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 6,984,520 to emerge second. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, clinched the third position with 6,101,533 votes while New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) candidate, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, came a distant fourth with 1,496,687.
Despite winning with a Muslim-Muslim ticket, the president-elect, Tinubu, who later received his certificate of return, on the same day, alongside his vice president-elect, Shettima, asked Nigerians to bury political and other divides to work with him in building a greater country.
In the next presidential election, Nigerian Muslims have been called to vote for a candidate that will protect their interest. Tell us the candidate & why? What has he done for the ummah in the past & what will he do? One Muslim will emerge winner, InShaAllah. #NigeriaDecides2023 pic.twitter.com/9Yi1JG2vf3
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) February 21, 2023
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu also extended the olive branch to his co-contestants in the February 25 presidential election.
He promised to hit the ground running as soon as he assumes office, saying he would work day and night to the best of his ability to make the country better.
Tinubu said his victory should not be seen as personal, emphasising that for progress to be made all Nigerians must undertake to be part of the task ahead.
“To you the people, especially the youths, I will work day and night. I will work to the utmost of my ability to make Nigeria better. For this to be a victory at all, it cannot simply be a victory for one man or even one party. It must become a victory for all Nigerians who are committed to a greater society.
“I know many did not vote for me and you are disappointed that your candidate is not where I now stand. I understand your hurt. To you, I extend the embrace and comfort of one family member to another. This great project called Nigeria beckons us all. It is bigger and more important than any partisan divide.”
