In this opinion essay, Francis Anekwe Oborji examines President Bola Tinubu’s decision to retain a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 election. The author argues that the arrangement raises urgent questions about religious inclusion, national security and Nigeria’s political future.
Kindly, permit me to begin, by stating, unequivocally, once again, that the state of things in Nigeria today, does not call for any ‘diplomacy’ in an ‘S.O.S’ – Save Our Lives and Souls, in Nigeria, write-up, of this kind.
The time of sugarcoating the words, in a write-up of this kind, in order for one to sound ‘politically correct’, is gone. Because, what is at stake today in Nigeria, is no longer about, preserving the so-called ‘unity’ of Nigeria as ‘one nation state’ — a non-existent ‘unity’ — and a non-existent One-Nigeria.’ ‘One-Nigeria’, and ‘Nigeria’s Unity is non-negotiable’, are among those expressions they have been using to deceive and mislead people into believing that Nigeria is one, or that, Nigeria is indeed a ‘country.’ — “There Was A Country”, apologies to Prof Chinua Achebe.
Therefore, what is at stake today, as far as Nigeria is concerned, is of how to save human lives of the endangered inhabitants of that geographical expression – the geographical space, the British arbitrarily merged together its diverse indigenous ethnic nationalities as one nation state, and called it Nigeria in 1914. Our being Nigerians, or rather, our being forced into one entity, the colonial created nation state, called Nigeria by the British, is the root cause of the problem with Nigeria!
The forcefully merging together of peoples of diverse, different indigenous ethnic nationalities, with often conflicting value systems, philosophy of life, different cultures, religious beliefs and languages, by the British, as one nation state, is the root cause of the Islamic terrorism and killings and kidnappings happening in Nigeria today. This is why the ancestral homelands and communities of all the indigenous populations, Christians, moderate Muslims and followers of African Traditional Religion, who are trapped in this British, colonial arbitrarily, created artificial nation state, which the same British named Nigeria in 1914, are being ravaged by known terrorists, Islamic Jihadists Insurgents and radical Fulani herdsmen militias aka bandits. And the government and security operatives are looking elsewhere, while terrorists are having their field day ravaging the ancestral homelands of different regions of the indigenous ethnic communities in the country. The continued existence of the Nigerian State in its present form and nomenclature, is the reason for the ongoing Islamic insurgency and herdsmen terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria. It is equally, the reason behind the political and economic instability and collapse of rule of law and order, as well as insecurity of lives and property in the country.
However, before, we dwell on the Tinubu and his ‘Muslim-Muslim’ Ticket Islamisation agenda of Nigeria, there are some poignant issues relating to that, which we need to clarify before we discuss that topic. In the first place, is our point of departure, and thereafter, we shall, briefly, make an urgent call on the world centres of power, to act fast on the Nigerian situation before things get offhand. We shall conclude with the dangers of allowing Tinubu and his masters to continue with their ‘Muslim-Muslim Ticket’ Islamisation of Nigeria agenda for the so-called ‘2027 Presidential Election.’
Our Point of Departure
The primary issue in Nigeria today, if truth be told, is about saving human lives. Again, the primary issue today, that is supposed to occupy the minds and hearts of any right-thinking person from Nigeria and friends of Nigeria, is about saving human lives. This comes first, above anything else. That is, after, God, in the hierarchy of things, comes the human life. And not even the ‘nation state’, should be allowed to take precedence over human lives. Any nation state that fails to protect human lives and property does not deserve to be called a nation state. Such a nation state has ceased to exist. Today, Nigeria as a nation state, has since ceased to exist in the minds and hearts of millions of its supposedly citizens, victims of the Nigerian State induced terrorism, insensitivity, marginalisation, military and police brutality, lopsided leadership, bad-governance, political and economic instability, corruption, and insecurity.
Saving human lives of Nigerians comes first, above any other project going on in that country as we speak. Saving human lives comes first above the so-called “Keeping Nigeria One Is A Task that Must Be Kept. Saving the human lives of every ordinary citizens of Nigeria irrespective of differences in ethnicity, religious beliefs and cultures, etc., comes first, over above the so-called ‘Nigerian Unity’, or the continued Nigerian state ‘fighting to preserve the non-existent, so-called ‘Nigerian unity.’
Put in another way, what is at stake in Nigeria today is human life, and not the continued existence of the Nigerian State. This is because, we have all been forced to stay together as one nation state in that entity called Nigeria, that the radical Muslim insurgents and Fulani herdsmen terrorists have gotten the audacity to invade the ancestral lands of the indigenous communities and Christians in the Middle-Belt and Southern States and the Minority indigenous communities in the Northeast and Northwest parts of country, and be killing and displacing them from their ancestral homelands and villages. If we were not forced into staying under that umbrella called ‘one Nigeria’, what right has the Fulani terrorists from the Sahel region and Central African Republic or Cameroon, has to invade the ancestral homes and communities of the indigenous peoples in the Middle-Belt and Southern regions of Nigeria? We are being killed and driven out of our ancestral homelands and indigenous communities today by the terrorists for our being Nigerians. Take away the ‘Nigerian State’ and allow the different indigenous ethnic nationalities or major geopolitical regions, to assert their freedom and take control of the security and governance of their own territory as a separate, independent nation state of their own, the Islamist insurgency and Fulani terrorism will be a thing of the past.
This is the naked truth most people, especially, the ruling-class and corrupt politicians and their foreign sponsors, are afraid to acknowledge. They prefer that the terrorists continue to kill us in Nigeria, in the name of “Keeping Nigeria One Is A Task that Must Be Kept”, than allow the people to breathe a fresh air of freedom and security of their lives and property.
Mind you, since it’s creation as a nation state by the British in 1914, Nigeria has never functioned optimally as a nation state to majority of its citizens. But always, as a ‘pressure cooker’ for violence, Islamic and herdsmen terrorism, ethnic-cleansing, genocidal war against a targeted ethnic group (as happened during the three-year genocidal war the Nigerian federal government waged against the Igbo Biafrans of the defunct Eastern region, killing over 3.5 million Igbos, mostly women and children, and using starvation and blockade against Biafra as an instrument of war. (1966/67 – 1970), Nigeria-Biafra War.) Nigerian State since its creation as a nation state by the British in 1914, is a nation state immersed in military and police brutality, lopsided federal government, corruption of the highest order and as a centre for the abuse of law and order, disrespect for human rights, abuse of human dignity and freedom, justice, equity and fairness.
Why the World Centres of Power Must Act Now on Nigeria
In other words, Nigeria as a nation state no longer exists in the subconscious minds and hearts of many of its inhabitants. And this is the crux of the matter.
So, in this article, we are saying that as things as are now, and as history has demonstrated, Nigerian State has never optimally served the purpose of a nation state to millions of its supposedly citizens. This is why we feel that it is high time the friends of Nigeria should try to convince the gatekeepers of the Nigerian State, that it is time to divide Nigeria according to its major, different geopolitical regions, in order to save human lives. It is high time the world centres of power, should come to the aid of citizens of Nigeria, and intervene, proactively, in the ongoing Nigerian security crisis and problem of nationhood. And help call the gatekeepers — the political ruling class and the ‘powerful’ Northern Sunni Muslims Caliphate political oligarchy controlling the Nigerian government and State, to order. Liaison with the British authorities, Nigeria’s former colonial masters, and friend of the Northern Muslim Caliphate. And help them come to see the reasons for Nigeria’s re-negotiation as a nation state. Because, the Nigerian nation state that the British created in 1914, has failed everybody.
Therefore, it is high time, the world centres of power, should look beyond the Oil and Gas, and other mineral and natural resources that abound in different parts of Nigeria, and look on the faces of the suffering masses of Nigeria. Help these helpless inhabitants of that geographical area called Nigeria, breathe fresh air of security of lives and property in their respective indigenous ancestral communities in different parts of the country. Allow them to conduct a referendum for self-determination, to determine if they want to continue to remain in the entity called Nigeria, or they want to separate to form their own separate, sovereign independent state, and begin to cater for their own territorial integrity, security of lives and property. In this way, we all will begin to relate well as neighbours, neighbouring independent sovereign states in the West African sub-region, ECOWAS. And no longer as enemies.
What we all are expecting right now, is the ‘intervention’ of the world centres of power. As a matter of fact, Nigeria is in dire need of such international intervention that has the sole purpose of helping Nigerian citizens to conduct a referendum for self-determination among Nigeria’s different, diverse ethnic nationalities or major geopolitical regions, as we speak, before things get off hands. That is, if it has not already gotten off hands.
In any case, Nigerian situation calls for an urgent intervention of the world centres of power that coming to help and not to exploit or loot the mineral and natural resources of the country. The world centres of power should, as a matter of urgency, intervene in the Nigerian case. They should call the current ruling class in Nigeria and the Northern Fulani Sunni Muslim Caliphate, and their collaborators from the other parts of the country, to order. And then, invite them to come together to a round table discussion. That is, all those powerful and influential leaders from the different major and even, the minority regions of Nigeria, sit down with them, and help them understand that it is better that Nigeria disintegrate in peace, to save lives, than allow the country to continue in its present form of trajectory of point-of-return, that is about to consume everybody in that geographical space and entity called Nigeria. It high time the world centres of power help Nigeria to disintegrate in peaceful, so as to save lives. Left on their own, the current ruling class, corrupt and myopic as they are, are incapable of mitigating through this rough and difficult state of things Nigeria has found itself today.
This is what should be the concern of any serious leader and friends of Nigeria as far as that country is concerned. Since that is the only language, we feel the gatekeepers of the Nigerian state who are responsible for the woes of that country, understand better.
Tinubu Regime Is ‘A Poster Child’ of Why World Powers Must Act on Nigeria
As we said at the opening paragraphs of this write-up, ‘President Tinubu and his ‘Muslim-Muslim’ Ticket. Tinubu is on it again!’ The man has come back, and this time better prepared and equipped, as the incumbent President of Nigeria, with his obnoxious, insensitive, Jihad-driven, ‘Muslim-Muslim’ Ticket for his 2027 Presidential re-Election bid. Mind you, this is their final ‘Abattoir’ for their unholy desire and subtle Jihad and terrorism war of total Islamisation of Nigeria and Enthronement of Sharia on the entire country, to make Nigeria an Islamic State governed by Sharia. Whether they will succeed or not, is not the matter now as things are. But history is enough to tell us what will become of Nigeria and its different ethnic nationalities and today’s booming Christian communities, if we all continue to fold our hands and watch Tinubu and his Northern Sunni Muslim Caliphate Oligarchy masters, continue to bully all of us and take us for a ride.
Again. Don’t think that Tinubu and the Caliphate he is serving are joking! They are dammed serious with their agenda to see Nigeria Islamised and Sharia become the legal system for the country. And don’t be deceived, they are going to achieve this, Nigeria will be Islamised by them, that is, with the rate of non-challant and complicity of silence of most of Nigerians, including, most painfully, even though one hates to say it, the complacency and heinous treacherous complicity of some prominent and influential Church leaders, bishops, some members of the local clergy – priests; the GOs, pastors of the popular ‘miracle’ healing prayer and adoration centres, and the corrupt and self-serving Christian politicians in this APC government, opposition parties, and especially, the states governors in the predominantly Christian-populated States in the Middle-Belt and Southern States of the country. And as the Retd Lt. Admiral Commodore Kunle Olawunmi, has emphatically told Nigerians, “Don’t be deceived, They (the Northern Muslim Sunni Caliphate and this APC government), are going to Islamise Nigeria, unless the country is divided into its different major geopolitical regions | ethnic nationalities.” They are going to Islamise the country with the way things are going. God forbid!
Does it surprise you that ever since President Tinubu announced that he will be running for his second term as president with Kashim Shettima as his Vice President; that he is continuing with his Muslim-Muslim Ticket for his second term, no prominent Christian Church leader, nor any Christian politician leader of note (except former speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, a Christian from the Northeast), has raised his or her voice to oppose such a draconian and insensitive agenda of President Tinubu’s second term for such a religiously, culturally and ethnically diverse and heterogeneous nation state such as Nigeria. Everyone appears to be feeling less concerned! And mostly, the prominent church leaders and Christian politicians serving in this APC government and those of the mainstream opposition parties, and civil societies and human rights groups, are all keeping silent. As Nigerians say, nowadays: ‘What Tinubu can’t bribe with his money or through political appointments, does not exist.’ Very painful and sorry situation for everyone in this British colonial created contraption, called Nigeria!
Don’t forget that this same Kashim Shettima has been exposed, severally, as alleged, as a founder, and financier of the Islamist terrorists organisation, Boko Haram, when he was the governor of Borno State. Today, the same Shettima is the Vice President of Nigeria to Tinubu. And Tinubu has tipped him as his Vice President for his second term for the 2027 Presidential Election? Quo vadis!
Unfortunately, Christian politicians and Churches, religious leaders, especially, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, prominent Bishops, including the supposedly powerful Archbishops, priests, Pastors and popular GOs of the mainstream Neo-Pentecostal Churches, the Prayer-Healing and Adoration Centres, etc., are all keeping silent. Perhaps, as alleged, because most of them are now in the payroll of this APC-led Islamic Sharia-driven Nigerian Govt., and the states governors of their respective States.
And this is the most painful aspect of it all. That unless the ordinary citizens and Christians in the rural and township communities decide to rise up today, and begin to defend their Christian faith, their ancestral lands, communities and lives, nobody is coming to defend them. Because, if care is not taking, it won’t be long before what became of the once booming and flourishing churches of the Maghreb North Africa, Egypt, Carthage; and those of the Middle-East countries of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and what is currently happening in Lebanon, may become the lot of this our today’s booming and seemingly, flourishing Christian Churches and lively communities in Nigeria. Again, we say, God forbid. But don’t forget that God help those who have help themselves.
If the Christian leaders and politicians of the Mediterranean Western European countries had not risen up at the time they did and drove away the Muslim invaders — the Arab Muslim Jihadist Warrior, Emperor Othman the Great, from most of today’s Middle-East, including North Africa, and recaptured most of Middle-East and from the Muslim Arab Jihadists, the whole of Western Europe would have been made a Muslim enclave till today. If not for the Christian Crusaders, aka ‘Templars’, which the Monarchs, Louis the Great of France, and his Spanish counterpart, among others, if these Catholic Christian religious leaders of the time, had not risen up, and galvanised their people, and formed the famous “Templars”, the military wing of the Christian Crusaders of that Medieval era, the whole of the Middle-East would have remained at the hands of the Arab Muslims as Islamic States till today. Including, Egypt and the Coptic Church will not even be standing in Egypt till today. Not to talk of the Holy Land, Jerusalem, and even the Greece, and the surviving Christian presence that we see in places like Turkey, former Constantinople, etc. Thanks to the Catholic Monarchs of the era that raised the Templars – Crusaders, who helped to liberate most of the Christian communities and cities from the Muslim Warrior, Emperor Othman Jihadists and Arab Muslim Conquest.
Conclusion
Again, go and read the history of the fall of the once flourishing churches of Constantinople, today’s Turkey, and of Egypt, and the Maghreb North African Church of Carthage, etc., and other parts of the today’s Middle-East and the Holy Land, itself. If people and Christians in Nigeria don’t rise up now, and begin to defend their own geopolitical regions, ancestral communities and Churches in different parts of what is currently called Nigeria, forget, it.
Make no mistake about it, Tinubu and his Sunni Muslims Northern Nigeria Caliphate and their Arab Muslims OIC countries allies, and sponsors, are going to fight to finish, to make sure that Nigeria is Islamised and Sharia enthroned all over the country. The mission statement of all the Muslim terrorist groups operating in Nigeria, is nothing other than to make Nigeria an Islamic State and Sharia as the legal system for the country. Be it Boko Haram, ISIS-ISWAP, Lakurawa, Fulani Herdsmen militias aka bandits, etc. They all have one common goal, to turn Nigeria into a Muslim country and enthrone Sharia as the legal system and code of conduct governing the life of everybody in Nigeria. And this is what the present APC-led federal government, with its Muslim-Muslim Ticket, and the Northern Nigerian Sunni Muslim Caliphate, are pursuing.
The overall aim of this APC government and the Caliphate, as well as of all the Muslim terrorist groups and insurgents operating from the Northern parts of the country, and their foreign allies and sponsors, is to turn Nigeria into an Islamic State and enthrone Sharia all over the country. They need their so-called ‘One Nigeria’, to accomplish this their sinister agenda of Islamisation through terrorism and by controlling the central government and military and other important organs of the federal and states governments. And this can only be possible under an APC-controlled Nigerian Federal Government and security agencies. Those who are still doubting this, will sooner or later, be saying, ‘had I known.’ By then, it will be too late.
Therefore, let nobody joke with this anymore. We have sounded the warning enough and it is high time people should know that it is no longer business as usual.
A word is sufficient for the wise!
Francis Anekwe Oborji is a Roman Catholic Priest. He lives in Rome where he is a Professor of missiology (mission theology) in a Pontifical University. He runs a column on The Trent. He can be reached by email HERE.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
