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Ever since the missionary era, Christianity has had a positive impact on the socio-cultural arena throughout Africa. In addition to involvement in evangelism and discipleship, a variety of Christian communities were behind the founding and growth of primary, secondary, and tertiary educational institutions, health facilities, poverty alleviation projects, children’s homes, and even civic initiatives. As a result, not only does Christianity continue to grow across much of the continent, but it has also achieved significant public acceptance as a force of social good.
However, in the past few decades, with the arrival of modern era religiousity, values such as humility, compassion, selfless service, and servant leadership are now increasingly replaced by a preoccupation with image consciousness, self-aggrandizement, and enlargement of personal and ministry influence at whatever cost. From an ecclesiological and theological perspective, the core of the problem lies with the rapid rise and media visibility of ‘dodgy’ (ie dubious) pastors, who are the false prophets of our day. Among the many self-proclaimed ‘men of God’ or ‘servants of God’, the values that have traditionally distinguished Christian ministry are increasingly absent.
Again, religion and politics have been locked in relationship since the dawn of humanity. Sometimes that relationship is healthy and sometimes it’s exploitative. Such manipulation is what we recently observed in regards to elections prophecies uttered by leaders of various Nigerian Charismatic and Pentecostal movements. Such false prophecies communicated fear and a confusing political rhetoric that facilitated derision and judgment towards the church. Sadly, such “prophecies” also functioned to misrepresent the true character of the most high God. Thus, they use religion as a weapon of manipulation.
Yet it still resonates. In many parts of the world organised religion remains the most powerful force in society: more than 4.5 billion people identify with one of the world’s four biggest religions, and that figure is rising. However, in Europe, religious faith and expression have collapsed in the past 170 years. It’s hard to think of anything that has taken their place—except perhaps, secular humanism and Marxism. There is Marxist quote that says, ‘Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the feeling of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions.’ Religion is fast becoming a barrier and dangerous weapon in the hands of manipulators.
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Most of the merchants of faith are nothing but confused social criminals taking advantage of the poverty and ignorance of the masses. Some religious leaders take pleasure in exploiting their gullible followers, who are excited about going to “heaven.” Some of this religious leaders are complicit in the rot in our society, they are full of ungodly attributes and are mostly pretentious self-advertised sets of lousy people. Undoubtedly, religion is truly’ the sigh of the oppressed,’ most especially in Africa. Suffice it to say that we are really living in perilous times in our society.
In this political season in Nigeria, the so-called “Men of God,” the merchants of faith, using the pulpit dubiously for personal aggrandizement, have perfected the art of swindling the unsuspecting gullible followers and controlling minds negatively by spreading hate and falsehood.
I’d like to conclude this article by sharing with my readers a lengthy response that I got from one of my readers on the issue of Muslim/Muslim ticket that has been agitating the minds of many Christians with regards to the 2023 Presidential Elections in Nigeria.
He titled it as:
“The Mystery of the APC Muslim/Muslim Ticket”
“Thanks for sharing the write up condemning the Muslim/Muslim Presidential ticket of APC. Those are the general and superficial thoughts of most “Christians.” However, it is my considered view that Ahmed Bola Tinubu (BAT), the APC flag bearer is an instrument for liberation of Nigeria. He is being used by God to save Christians from their political ineptitude and the danger of permanent consignment into 2nd class citizens status in the nation.
The biggest threat to Christianity in this dispensation was the failure of PDP to zone and produce a southern Christian Presidential Candidate. In a Party with 13 Governors, 10 of them are Christians, and the National Chairman is a Northern Christian, they ended up producing a Northern Fulani Muslim Candidate, after a two term (8 years) of attempted “Islamization and Fulanization.” PDP Presidential ticket was a low hanging fruit meant for “Christians,” yet they allowed the “Muslims” to pluck it.
You gave it away because you lack vision and you lack competent leaders. Instead of merely reacting, the Church was supposed to be prophetic and pro-active. The APC Presidential ticket was about to be given away to the Senate President, a Muslim from Yobe State, where it was alleged that Boko Haram actually started. Thanks to the political wisdom and sense of fairness of northern Governors and leaders of the APC, and the courage and sagacity of BAT, a moderate Yoruba Muslim and a radical with a track record of religious tolerance, the APC Presidential ticket got zoned to the South. Tinubu, subsequently won the APC Presidential Primary.
Looking at his antecedents, BAT, will surely reform and modernize Nigeria. After his victory, some parts of the Muslim North were a bit apprehensive about the Tinubu presidency, which they felt could be a threat to their Islamic interests. Allegedly, they suggested a Muslim/Muslim ticket option as a potential deal breaker. The flag bearer was clever enough to avoid the trap, he accepted but rejected their nominees and made his own choice. Interestingly, the demonization of the vice-presidential Candidate, Sen. Shettima, by some Christians actually made him more acceptable to the Northern Muslims. I have no doubt that Tinubu’s political sagacity is working, and APC is heading for a landslide victory.
The supposedly ‘poorly’ educated Islamic clerics are now saying that working for Tinubu victory is an Islamic jihad. Such crude and myopic outbursts, should upset right thinking patriots, however it is not different from the utterances of those shallow and tactless Pastors cursing and abusing dissenting voices who are working for other options because of their local political circumstances. All the same, it’s all good for BAT’s victory. If Tinubu had picked a Northern Christian running mate, he would have lost the Northern votes to Atiku. The self-defeating northern Christians would still have preferred an Igbo Christian President to their northern Christian brother serving as prospective Presidential sidekick.
Their votes would still have been divided into 3: PDP, APC and Labour. The Bible says; ‘Where there’s no vision, the people perish.’ Therefore, as earlier posited, BAT, is a weapon being used by God to deliver Christians from the real consequences of Christian political ineptitude and lack of visionary leaders. He is saving the Christians from the possibility of 8 years of Atiku, a presidency that clearly violates the PDP zoning principle and rotation between the North and the South. What Christians should do is to support BAT, pray for his good health and survival of murderous unseen schemes against him, and be close to him enough to positively influence his Government and benefit from it.
The Obi option is completely a diversionary and misleading attempt to administer medicine on a dead cause. Obi cannot win even in the eastern States talk-less of the entire country because a small party(Labour Party) with weak structures, and a stingy Candidate unwilling or unable to spend big, cannot win a Presidential Election in the present circumstances of Nigeria. Sadly, the Igbo politics of violent secessionist agitations and verbal attacks on other tribes and regions, can also not be helpful to Obi. The Obi project was dead on arrival, but it is useful for undermining Atiku’s chances, and for deepening democracy by mobilizing the youth and otherwise indifferent prospective voters.
Christians in Nigeria lost the quest to produce a Christian President after the PDP Presidential Primary.
A united PDP in collaboration with the smaller parties and a strong Christian Presidential Flag bearer would have been able to win, especially because of what is perceived as poor performance of the present APC Government. Hence, the real antidote against perceived “Islamization” of Nigeria is the revival of biblical Christianity that emphasizes love for people and integrity, a Christianity that focuses more on evangelism and missions. There is the possibility that a credible and capable Christian President would emerge in the next election circle to take Nigeria to great heights. Let us not live or act in fear, but in faith.”
With the rich contribution above, I call on all Nigerians to put aside religious bigotry, and vote peacefully. Nigeria will rise again.
Richard Odusanya
