2023 Presidency: Shed Partisanship, Concentrate On Healing Nigeria JIBWIS Tackles CAN

The attention of Jibwis Nigeria has been drawn to the widely circulated news of Christian Association of Nigeria insisting on a Christian successor for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

This is as ill-timed as it is dangerous. The position of CAN as widely reported by Nigerian newspapers has elicited reactions that seem to have further overheated the polity. Jibwis Nigeria notes that this, a wrong move, is what you get when religious leadership indulges in decidedly-partisan campaigns.

In any democracy, Jibwis Nigeria affirms that the decision as to who should succeed who should be the business of registered political parties and not Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), or any other similar organisation whose primary responsibility is preaching or proselytizing mission.

This was contained in a statement signed by the National Charman, JIBWIS Nigeria, Sheikh, Imam (Dr) Abdullahi Bala Lau, FDMSS () NHQ, FCT-Abuja.

As a matter of established practice across the world, the concern is about power shift from old brigade of political leaders to the comparatively younger democrats and not for any ethno-geographical considerations or worst still religious affinities. One wonders why CAN chooses the latter?

It appears that CAN has started abdicating the responsibility of preaching inter-religious harmony, peace and national stability that it was doing decades ago. Jibwis Nigeria is aware of well-informed analysis of the situation by respected national commentators – both Muslims and Christians urging caution and restraint, to avoid creating avoidable national tensions.

Like any responsible organisation, Jibwis Nigeria carefully reviews the implication of CAN’s campaign for a shift of Presidential power to a Christian in 2023 with deep concern.

To begin with, the campaign in favor of a Christian successor for President Buhari does not make sense, if we reflect on the historical reality of where and how power has resided in recent years.

It is common knowledge that from 1999 to date, we had Christians dominating the democratic space for 14 years. Break it down: Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, a Christian was in power for 8 years and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had 6 years.

Conversely, if we look closely, the Nigerian Presidents who were Muslims were two – Alhaji Umaru Musa Yaradua governed for 2 years and Muhammadu Buhari is now in his second term of 8 years.

Unlike CAN, Jibwis Nigeria is not mounting undue pressure on any political party or group by insisting on a Muslim candidate as a matter of entitlement. All we ask for is that political parties must insist on a competent, capable and upright Nigerian to be fielded.

On the whole, Jibwis Nigeria advises CAN to try to shed the partisan garb and concentrate on healing our country from bad eggs in politics by constant prayers and proper sensitization. CAN should not court the trouble of the nation’s political party leadership, who have the mandate to screen and nominate candidates and wait for the final verdict of the voters. Most importantly, CAN should be viewed as a respected religious association and not a political party with mandate to determine what qualifies one to be a Buhari successor.