The Association of Middle Belt Ethnic Nationalities (ASOMBEN) has warned political parties and their presidential candidates not to succumb to pressure from anywhere to run Muslim/Muslim tickets, saying leadership at that level must reflect the diversity in terms of religious belief.
Speaking to Sunday Tribune on Democracy Day celebration, the chairman, ASOMBEN, Sule Kwasau, said anyone that loved Nigeria would not contemplate Muslim-Muslim or Christian/Christian ticket for the country.
“Nigeria is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country. We have seen over time how politicians in this country used religion to ascend to power and lord it over non-adherents of their religion.
“Those presidential candidates should know that religion is a very sensitive issue in Nigeria. The leadership must reflect the diversity in terms of religious beliefs, there must be a sense of belonging.
“When there’s Muslim-Christian or Christian-Muslim ticket, there is likely to be relative peace. If it worked during [MKO] Abiola and [Babagana] Kingibe time, it won’t work now because of the subsequent events that have taken place”, he said.
He warned that any political party that flies a Muslim-Muslim ticket within the current historical experience will not see the light of the day in 2023.
Kwasi, who flayed the governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, over his position on the Muslim/Muslim ticket, said the fact that it worked in Kaduna does not mean it is ideal for Nigeria.
“Some people say all politics is local, if he thinks it can be replicated at the national level, he should know it is not going to be possible.
“This country does not belong to any particular religion, if statesmen keep quiet in times of crisis, then they are no longer statesmen. Nigeria is gradually inching towards a religious war and our leaders must be very careful.
“It would have been a different thing if past leaders had shown capacity in terms of giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. I don’t bother which religion a person belongs to as long as I am getting what belongs to me.
“But we have seen over the years that our leaders often use religion to suppress non adherents. And there can be no peace without justice, until there’s justice, then we can have peace.”
On democracy day, the ASOMBEN leader pointed out that democratic processes in Nigeria had been bastardised, adding the recent primaries conducted at various levels had further worsened the situation.
“What we witnessed in the recent primaries are not good omen. Our democracy is a charade. We do not have true democracy in this country. The democratic processes have been corrupted and compromised.