The choice of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s running mate is in the front burner again.
This time the Social Democratic Party Lagos Gubernatorial candidate, Jagunmolu Kunle Uthman is not buying into the reasons given for the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima which produced a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the APC.
According to him the fact that it happened successfully 29 years ago should not be a yardstick for its repeat this time around.
He hammered on the religion sensitivity in Nigeria which requires that others must feel a sense of belonging.
For him, religion is an obligatory factor in politcs.
“The essence and purpose of democratic governance and suffrage is not winning at all cost. It is to show an understanding of the political terrain and social gravamen of the lives of the people sought to be led.”
“It is important that those who desire to lead must show social understanding and connect with the people at all levels, and be sensitive to their spiritual inclinations,” he added.
CASEFILE reproduces his submission below
RELIGION AS AN OBLIGATORY FACTOR IN POLITICS.
The matter of religion has once again resurrected in the front burner of our National politics for good reasons.
With the choice by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC of a Muslim running mate.
The Muslim./ Muslim ticket for the forthcoming Presidential Elections by the APC, as a political party has once again impoded and exacerbated an issue, which has polarised our dear country, Nigeria, more than ever in the last decade and thereof offending the sensitivity of tens of millions of Nigerians.
The essence and purpose of Democratic governance and suffrage is not winning at all cost. It is to show an understanding of the political terrain and social gravamen of the lives of the people sought to be led.
It is important that those who desire to lead must show social understanding and connect with the people at all levels, and be sensitive to their spiritual inclinations.
RELIGION is FAITH and will always be a factor in politics. To say otherwise is to play the Ostrich and to be economical with the truth. There is and always will be a need to balance and do the right thing.
It is an act of deception to think, act or speak otherwise in the matter of Faith. What is glossly referred to as “RELIGION” is the basis of the existence and life of the human person and his spiritual inclination. It is what connects him or her with the Creator.
What has continued to divide this country, more than anything else is the religious inclination of the people. Therefore, anybody at whatever level in this country must carefully handle this matter with utmost care and delicately.
It is from this prism that it is obligatory on all peace loving people to assess the choice of the Presidential Running mate in the APC. It appears insensitive and tantamount to “WE-DON’T CARE” attitude and is condemnable and should necessarily be CONDEMNED by all who desire peaceful coexistence in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It is time to be counted among the courageous ones who speak truth to power. What is wrong cannot be right. The fact that someone did it 29 YEARS AGO will not imply that it is tenable in YEAR 2022. An empirical analysis will reveal to a cerebral Nigerian and everyone (locally and abroad) that this most sensitive issue must be handled with utmost care.
A “Stitch In Time Saves Nine.”
