A former Minister of Police Affairs, Maj.-Gen. David Jemibewon (retd.); a former Military Administrator of Osun and Bauchi states, Col. Theophilus Bamigboye (retd.); and the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Mr. Razak Atunwa have warned against the same religion ticket for presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
The three, in separate interviews with our correspondent on Sunday, also said that governorship candidates and their running mates should not belong to the same religion.
They stated that though merit and competence should ideally be the major criteria for consideration of candidates, but that it was important to give consideration to the level of perception and understanding of many Nigerians to balance the tickets to cut across the two major religions in the country.
Atunwa said, “What we should concern ourselves with is who can do the job and who is popular and can deliver certain things. That is on that basis; but nonetheless, I am a politician. However much I believe that things should not continue to divide us, I must be sensitive as we have majority, in my view, who is calling for that balancing of the two religions in the choice of presidential candidate and the vice.
“In order not to create uproar and a condition for such a diversity that may threaten Nigeria system, I think any political party will do well to cater for, as much as it can, the various sensibilities and sensitivities of the nation. And that include whether or not you are talking of north/south divide, or religious divide.”
Bamigboye said it was not a good idea to have the candidate and the running mate belonging to the same religion, be it Christianity or Islam, given the Nigerian mentality and the way people perceive things in the country.
“If the president is a Christian then let the vice be a Muslim and vice versa. The arrangement has been going on well. So, I am not in support of the idea that the principal and the deputy will be in the same religion. It is not the best, judging from the way Nigerians look at issues about religion. It is better to balance up,” he said.
Jemibewon said that in a civilised society where religion, ethnicity or tribe were not major factors for political offices, same religion tickets might not matter.
He, however, said that in a country like Nigeria, which is yet to mature to that level, caution must be taken on same religion tickets.
He noted that religion, tribe and ethnicity were still major factors in choosing political officers in Nigeria, adding that it was better to consider the religious sensibilities of the citizens and ensure balanced tickets.
He said that Nigeria would have laid a strong foundation where religion do not count with the presidential ticket of Chief Moshood Abiola and his running mate, Alhaji Babagana Kingibe, on June 12, 1993 but that the foundation was destroyed by the annulment of the election.
The June 12, 1993 presidential election won by Abiola of the defunct Social Democratic Party was annulled by the former dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, who midwifed the polls.
“In a society where people do care about religion or tribe, it may not the best to have the same religion tickets,” Jemibewon said.
Source: Punch
