GUEST COLUMN: Malam Nasir Elrufai Deserves a Breathing Space

Malam Nasir  Elrufai Deserves a Breathing Space - Kamaludden Sani Shawai 

Not quite long, few elements in some certain quarters in Nigeria engaged in what could be called controversial and inflammatory remarks  that are capable of causing unnecessary tension in the country.

Their utterances  and outburst are quite alarming, leading to outrage and uproar, especially on the social media. Shamelessly, these same people are tagging someone as  religious bigot alleging sinister motive to  set the nation on fire.

Let us remember that, politics is a system that involves  class of individuals preferences.  It's is a means of meeting public demands,  achieving competing goals and it's out put in form of binding public policies. In similar vein, religion is something complex.

The demonstration of integrity in both religion and politics are key in promoting democratic values and norms. This could be achieved through  tolerance, being moderate, sincerity of purpose  and respect for truth , justice and freedom.

Any nation that is lacking in integrity is bound to lose conscience, compassion and progress.

As Nigerians, wether Muslims, Christians or traditionalists we need and must ensure free practice of our religion with integrity and respect for one another.

We must equally be willing to overcome the temptation to mix religion and politics or making religion a factor in partisan politics.

Let us review some of the recent inflammatory remarks and judge by ourselves if such were right or otherwise...

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN Kaduna State chapter in a statement issued on the 3rd of March 2023 made the following resolutions:

After review of presidential and National Assembly elections that just concluded,all Christians in Kaduna are requested to vote for PDP in Gubernatorial elections.

That a vote for LP is a complete waste, given it's performance in the presidential elections.

That if we do not stop the Muslim-Muslim tickets now,our future is doomed, because even the PDP Will also try the Muslim -Muslim ticket in 2027 if not stopped this time around, Niger state is a good example of how  Muslim Christian ticket was discarded permanently.

Again also as a reminder for every right thinking person to ponder what  social critic  and a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri has said, that Christians must discard the approach they deployed in the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.

According to him, Christians must avoid the temptation of approaching elections the way and manner they went about this one.

Many electorate in the country believe that their votes did not count.

But Omokri believes that approaching the election through religious lines did not help Christians, who according to him, turned out for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

According to the results read out by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, Tinubu polled a total of 8,794,726 to defeat his closest rivals and candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP who scored 6,984, 520 and 6,101,533 respectively.

“The Muslims vote was divided into 3 ways amongst Atiku, Tinubu and Kwankwaso. The Christian vote was united behind Obi.

“Yet, look at the result! No matter the provocation, Christians must NEVER allow future elections to be about religion. It won’t serve us well!”

Our  brethren, the truth is always bitter but some one must pick courage to say it as it is.

Just before the 2023 Nigeria's General Elections, certain groups of people raised their political and  religious views , on how to resist APC Muslim -Muslim ticket.

 Former speaker of the House of Representatives Rt, Hon,Yakubu Dogara and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir David Lawal who spoke at the Northern APC Christian Leaders Summit held in Abuja on July 29, 2022 enjoined Christians to use their PVC and prayers to resist the party plans for the general election.

They condemned the move and discribing their resistance as a wake up call.

Mr, Dogara who was the Guest Speaker at the event, said Mr Tinubu has made a fatal error in choosing a running mate.

He knocked the APC leaders for their Inability to distinguish the Nigeria of1993 and 2022.

Again, Babachir Lawan said on Arise TV responding to APC decisions " we are determined to kill it and our people are mobilized and our people are ready for the election.

So, while we plan that the same faith ticket of APC should fail, we also believe that we should align with one of the leading political parties that has the chance of winning.

Another outrageous statement also came from a former Governor of Rivers Nyesom Wike who  stated clearly that no level of intimidation or negative propaganda will make him change the declaration that Rivers remains a Christian state.

Wike explained that God had continued to show compassion to the state despite the machinations of the wicked.

He said, “Let me say that the Governor will not change his decision, no matter the level of intimidation and criticism about his declaration that Rivers State is a Christian state.

“The reason is very simple. As a son and Governor of Rivers State, he has the right and the authority to declare that the state has seen God’s goodness, mercy and compassion. So, there are no alternatives to the declaration.

“That is why he will continue to worship God and declare Rivers, a Christian state.”

Nyesom Wike maintained that he owes nobody an apology declaring Rivers a Christian state. He stated that criticism nortwithstanding,the reality remains that the state is Christian.

Also, the  Middle Belt Forum, just recently, in their quest to also tarnish Malam Nasir El Rufai's image, waged a campaign of calumny to divert people's attention from reality and available information. They described  Malam Nasir Elrufai  as someone who is  working with another group to turn Nigeria into a Muslim country, how many times do we continue to hear such mere cheap blackmail and allegations not on him but all prominent Northerners. 

IBB, Buhari,Yarima, Shekarau all  are victims of names calling, lies and fabrications.

This is not the first time to hear the name Islamization Agenda in Nigeria.

Regrettably, If you don't understand the dynamic of politics in Kaduna state, please don't outburst or crucify innocent persons .

Don't set Nigeria on fire and don't compromise and please have respect for truth and justice.

Let Malam Nasir El Rufa'i be given a space to breathe, let him exercise his constitutional right of voicing his polical views like every distinguished Nigerians.

Written by Kamaluddeen Sani from Kano, Nigeria.