By Dr. Chuks Osuji
A lot has been written and said on the subject of Muslim-Muslim President ticket. Although I have written on this disturbing issue, nobody can stop writing on the subject because it exposes those pretenders who argued that Muslim-Muslim ticket is normal.
While I was about to write this article my attention was drawn to a post on my WhatsApp platform. It revealed a more disturbing fact about religious distributions of Nigerians in this country. Although the information was chilling, it showed vividly that in terms of speed, there are more Christians than Muslims in this country. A graphic scenario reveals such a pattern. Thus, the spread culled from the Nigerian Internal Public Relations: Imo State Chapter WhatsApp Platform is as follows:
RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY MAP BY STATES
South-East
Abia – Christian/Christian
Anambra – Christian/Christian
Ebonyi – Christian/Christian
Enugu – Christian/Christian
Imo – Christian/Christian
North-East
Adamawa – Muslim/Christian
Bauchi – Muslim/Muslim
Borno – Muslim/Muslim
Gombe – Muslim/Christian
Taraba – Christian/Muslim
Yobe – Muslim/Muslim
South-South
AkwaIbom – Christian/Christian
Bayelsa – Christian/Christian
Cross River – Christian/Christian
Delta – Christian/Christian
Edo – Christian/Christian
Rivers – Christian/Christian
North-Central
Benue – Christian/Christian
Kogi – Muslim/Christian
Kwara – Muslim/Christian
Nassarawa – Muslim/Christian
Niger – Muslim/Muslim
Plateau – Christian/Christian
South-West
Ekiti – Christian/Christian
Lagos – Christian/Muslim
Ogun – Christian/Muslim
Ondo – Christian/Christian
Osun – Muslim/Christian
Oyo – Christian/Muslim
North-West
Jigawa -Muslim/Muslim
Kaduna – Muslim/Muslim
Kano – Muslim/Muslim
Katsina – Muslim/Muslim
Kebbi – Muslim/Muslim
Sokoto – Muslim/Muslim
Zamfara – Muslim/Muslim
GOVERNORS AND DEPUTY GOVERNORS
Christian/ Christian – 15
Muslim/ Muslim – 11
Christian/ Muslim – 4
Muslim/ Christian – 6
Total: 36
FACTS ON RELIGIOUS BALANCING OF JOINT ELECTORAL TICKETS AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC EQUITY IN NIGERIA
Fact 1:
Total States in Nigeria – 36
Christian Governors – 20 (56%)
Muslim Governors – 16 (44%)
Fact 2:
Total States in Nigeria – 36
Christian DepGovs – 22 (61%)
Muslim DepGovs – 14 (39%)
Fact 3:
Total States in the South – 17
Christian Governors – 16 (94%)
Muslim Governors – 1 (6%)
Fact 4:
Total States in the North – 19
Christian Governors – 4 (21%)
Muslim Governors – 15 (79%)
Fact 5:
Total States in the South – 17
Christian Deputy Governors – 14 (82%)
Muslim Deputy Governors – 3 (18%)
Fact 6:
Total States in the North – 19
Christian Deputy Governors – 8 (42%)
Muslim Deputy Governors – 11 (58%)
FUNNY BUT TRUE IN NIGERIA
President -North
Senate President -North
Chief of Staff – North
SGF—North
INEC Chairman – North
Chief Justice of federation – North
President Court of Appeal – North
EFCC Chairman – North
President Federal high court – North
National Security Adviser – North
Inspector General of Police – North
Chief of Army Staff – North
Chief of Air Staff – North
Controller, Customs
Service – North
Defence Minister-North
MD Port Authority- North
MD NDIC – North
Controller Prison Services – North
Controller of Immigration -North.
Controller of Fire Service North
Highest looter North
Richest man in Africa – North
85% of Petroleum Marketers in Nigeria – Northerners
80% of Oil Block Owners in Nigeria – Northerners
99% of beggars in Nigeria – Northerners
99.9% of almajiris – North
Highest rate of child marriage – North
Boko Haram – North
Fulani herdsmen militia Terrorising Nigerians – North
90% of Nigeria’s past presidents/Head of state – North.
Yet, the poorest states in Nigeria and educationally backward areas in Nigeria are in the North. Remember almost all these positions were and are being controlled by Northern Muslims.
One thing is certain, some people may argue that there may be elements of distortion in these facts but the facts remains and remain that Muslim leaders do not think of Nigeria as a united entity but think from the perspective of what they can get via selfishness. In spite of these facts, some Muslim leaders continue to demonstrate selfish interest with a show of domineering propensity whether one is a Christian or Muslim, the spirit of this nation should be balancing the equation. That is the spirit to guide stability in this country. Honestly, who is more stupid? Is it those Muslim leaders who want to dominate the country in all ramifications? If they continue to do so, the Christian weak will be taught to be strong and when that happens, there may be social distortion and when social distortion erodes in the nation then there must be eruption. The shape and consequences of such eruption will be enormous and unpredictable. Is that what we want? The answer wrong.