By Benedict Ahanonu
Recently, the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose accused President Muhammadu Buhari of working towards Islamizing Nigeria.
He made the wild and spurious remark while delivering a speech at a church thanksgiving service in Port-Harcourt to celebrate the victory of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike after the Supreme Court ruling.
Governor Fayose, who claimed to be Peter – the rock that cannot be harmed by anyone, yelled that, “They have started subtle moves to make Nigeria an Islamic nation, but God will stop them. This was done in 1984, it failed, it would fail again.”
To corroborate his claim Fayose said: “Why did five of them go to Saudi Arabia to wait for our man there if they don’t have agenda? The agenda is coming small small, but we will resist it. Nigeria is a free nation where we proclaim the name of Jesus Christ freely, and we believe in Allah for those who are Muslims. This nation will not be taken for an Islamic nation,” Fayose said.
Judging by his remarks, it is obvious that either Governor Fayose has yet to understand the nitty-gritty of statehood and what the Constitution says about religion and Nigeria as a secular state or he is just trying to deceive many impressionable Nigerians who might not be as informed and could accept his glaring misinformation hook, line and sinker. It could also be that he is seeking attention and cheap popularity as he presents himself as the only PDP governor who knows how to be vociferous, especially when presenting deliberate falsehood as truth.
Perhaps Governor Ayo Fayose needs to be taught how difficult it is to amend the Constitution as it is only the legal path towards Islamizing Nigeria. It is a Constitutional issue which President Buhari would not attempt even by presidential fiat due to the fact that Nigeria is a republic, a democracy and the process is very tortuous. In fact, it is unimaginable.
To put the record straight, President Buhari was once a military head of state with enormous dictatorial power to do and undo from 1983 to 1985.
During that time, he was busy fighting corruption and indiscipline. He was keen on repositioning Nigeria that was then on the edge of a precipice due to outrageous corruption and inept leadership. That was the era of late Alhaji Umaru Dikko and rice importation, the rest is history.
If it was possible to Islamize Nigeria, that is assuming President Buhari had the intention, he would have done that then with a deputy in the person of late Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon who was also a devout Muslim, but he never did so because it was as impracticable as impossible and if he couldn’t do it then, would it be now he got democratically elected as the President of all Nigerians including Christians and Muslims that he will do it given the Constitutional encumbrances and the fragile realities of the country?
It was the then President Ibrahim Babangida who took Nigeria to the Organization of Islamic States (OIC) surreptitiously in 1986 long after the Palace Coup that put paid to President Buhari’s corrective regime.
Since God Almighty reinstated him as President in order for him to conclude what General Babangida and his cohorts interrupted in 1985, President Buhari, by acts and deeds, has demonstrated genuine open-mindedness in terms of religious issues and has never in any way shown a proclivity towards religious extremism. So, only God knows where Governor Fayose is getting his deceptive clues from.
Father Mbaka is a Christian and strong Catholic Priest for that matter, who has the ears of President Buhari because he has proven his authenticity. Even the wife of President Buhari, has visited the Adoration Ministry Ground in Enugu. Fellow Nigerians, would President Buhari tolerate such if he is a fanatic bent on Islamizing Nigeria as claimed by Fayose?
President Buhari in the course of his campaign met with Christian Bishops who gave him a copy of the Bible. Would a religious fanatic bent on Islamizing Nigeria do that?
When President Jonathan was at the helm, he worshipped in various Christian churches, often made policy statements from the pulpit and heavens did not fall but President Buhari has never done such. He goes to the mosque quietly, prays and returns to state duties.
I am not sure President Buhari has ever been televised while worshipping in the mosque.
Honestly, I cannot fathom why Governor Fayose should prefer to be a PDP hatchet man instead of focusing on developing Ekiti State. It seems governing Ekiti is like a tea party and apparently he is less busy otherwise he would not have the time in this world to be talking so much unnecessarily.
One thing I think he has forgotten or may be pretending not to know is that Nigerians today are wise and cannot be misled by unsubstantiated claims. He is the one trying to create unnecessary panic and confusion in the country through well-calculated misinformation aimed at tarnishing the good image of President Buhari.
Indeed, as a citizen of Nigeria, President Buhari has the right to religious freedom and which he went to Mecca recently to exercise hence. That should not be politicized, made a national talking point or misconstrued as a step in Fayose’s alleged moves to Islamize Nigeria.
Instead of making unguarded remarks that will in the end earn him opprobrium and expose his level of mediocrity, Governor Fayose should rather engage in meaningful and constructive criticism that could help move the nation to the next level of development and economic prosperity.
I suggest that the National Assembly should review the unpopular Immunity Clause so that any erring governor could be made to account for his deeds without delay and when that happens, I will then see how long Fayose will still bear the name, Peter – the rock.
Benedict Ahanonu is a columnist and public affairs analyst based in Abuja. He can be reached on 08033944198
Leave a Reply