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…Says ethno-religious politics will disappear under Tinubu presidency
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The former Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Mr Anthony Sani, has said that Nigerians of Christian faith should be allowed to head the legislative arm of government under the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Sani said this has become necessary because by May 29, when the President-elect, Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shettima are being sworn in, the executive arm of government will be headed by Muslims in view of the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the presidency.
In this interview with Sunday Sun, the ACF former scribe also said that ethno-religious politics will disappear under Tinubu’s regime because he (Tinubu) is not a religious extremist or ethnic jingoist. Excepts:
The general elections have come and gone. What is your assessment of the whole elections?
My assessment of the general elections are that despite the challenges which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) faced in the course of conduct of the elections, the elections were marked improvement over past elections. I say so because only markedly free and fair elections could make the presidential candidate of the ruling party to lose his own state, make the sitting president lose his state, as well as make some sitting governors to lose their states and some their senatorial bids. You recall I had told you before the elections that because 14 All Progressive Congress (APC) governors from the North caused the emergence of Bola Tinubu in the APC primaries, they would ensure their desire come to pass during the elections.You can see Bola Tinubu beat Atiku in the North. I also told you that because Northwest and Southwest which are number one and two in registration of voters are in political alliance,the chances of APC to prevail were much higher than those of PDP and Labour Party which were factions of the original PDP that fielded Atiku and Peter Obi as a ticket in 2019. I am, therefore, on the same page with the editorial comment by Washington Post which said though there were hitches of management practices in the conduct of the elections, Nigeria still sets the pace for enduring democracy in a continent where it is scarce. So, rather than undermining our electoral system by condemning INEC unduly, we should give the commission credit for what it has done and inspire it to do better. More so that no electoral system is perfect in this world.
There is no doubt that Muslim-Muslim ticket has come to reality when eventually Tinubu and Shettima are sworn in on May 29, about two months from now. What key positions at the national level would you advise should be given to those of Christian extraction?
I think the talk about Muslim-Muslim ticket is mere sentiments.This is because this is not the first time we are experiencing same faith ticket. Zik and Awolowo had same faith ticket during Second Republic. In 1993, Chief Abiola had it. In all these instances, heavens did not fall. So, Bola Tinubu is not the first to use same faith ticket as his winning game plan. I think Nigerians should put more premium on performance of the ticket than on faith or ethnicity of candidates. If Bola Tinubu believes he needs to appease the Christians through positions in the government, he can do so through the Senate president and Speaker of House of Reps.That way, the executive would be headed by Muslims and legislature headed by Christians.
Some key players in the elections have gone to court, accusing INEC of bias and rigging. What is your reaction to this?
It is their right to seek redress in the court if they have the facts in support of any irregularities.This is because electoral offenses are criminal and have to be proved beyond reasonable doubt. Hence the proof are done unit-by-unit. When I saw video of Zik leading opposition party leaders against the declaration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari of NPN in 1979, I concluded the attitudes of our political leaders to elections have not changed significantly. I pray we change by not undermining our democracy and democratic institutions uncharitably.
There are protests here and there across the country because of alleged compromise by INEC in upturning results to favour perceived losers. Would you wish the elections were free, fair and credible?
I have never known elections in Nigeria that were not disputed. I told you how Zik of NPP led Chief Awolowo of UPN and Waziri of GNPP protesting the outcomes of elections. Buhari lost and went to court three times. Now, Atiku and Peter Obi are not doing something new by their protests.Their decision to go to the court is the way to go. No need for street protests that can create anarchy and make Nigerians lose faith in our democracy and its institutions.
Some Nigerians are saying that the introduction and use of BVAS by INEC in conducting the elections was a sham because it did not achieve the desired results. What is your take on this?
I have told you that the elections have marked improvement over the previous ones due to the technology that INEC introduced that made it possible for the bigwigs to lose elections. BVAS helped despite hitches experienced here and there due to network problems.We see challenges of network in many parts of the country especially in the banks and usage of phones. You would recall in 2000, Bush and Algore contested elections. Because it was too close to call, the difference between them in Florida was so small and within the margin of error of the machines used. As a result, the Supreme Court ordered for manual counting which result did not change the outcome of the elections. Remember how Attorney General William Barr had to resign because he could not get evidence in support of President Trump contention that the elections were rigged. In state of Georgia, the court ordered for manual counting because President Trump alleged Dominion Voter System machines used were compromised.The manufacturers have dragged Fox News to court claiming $1.6billion damage. So, there is nothing new about protests here and there. More so that there are election petition tribunals in place to attend to any grievances.
Don’t you think election petition tribunal and court will upturn some of these results for the rightful winners both at the presidency and state elections?
The election petition tribunals are in place to attend to electoral grievances.They are empowered to right the wrongs where there are proofs beyond reasonable doubt.
Some people are still saying that Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) actually divided the votes of Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), otherwise Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) wouldn’t have won. Would you say it was a clear case of planting Peter Obi to destroy Atiku and favour Tinubu?
Atiku/Peter Obi was one ticket in 2019, but did not win. In 2023, the ticket split.That may explain why BBC wrote that Bola Tinubu rises from the ashes of opposition split. That may be true. But we must note that Rabiu Kwankwaso of NNPP and Governor Wike’s G5 also came from PDP and made the party weaker. As to allegation that some power that be deliberately planted the split in favour of APC, I dare say it may not be correct. I’m just considering it as part of conspiracy theory galore that has permeated our polity.
There were dull moments over election victory instead of heavy celebrations in many parts of the country. Is it part of indications that the people’s mandate was allegedly stolen?
The dull moments were due to challenges posed by the cash crunch and scarcity of fuel both of which affected all aspects of life, and not elections alone.The turn out was also low.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has lamented ethnic and religious sentiments that characterised the recent concluded general elections. What in your own opinion is the solution to this?
The surge in polity of ethnicity and religion were brought about by those who sought to weaponise religion and ethnicity in politics. As I told you, this is not the first time Nigeria has same faith ticket.We had it before and heavens did not fall.Why should it heat up the politics now? The way to overcome the ugly promotion of cleavages of the nation along ethnic, religious and regional lines is for government to regard governance as art of balancing competing demands fairly, justly and equitably among constituents.That is to say, government must exercise executive power of sharing access to national resources of appointments, employment, projects and contract, justly and equitably.That way, politics of identity will become irrelevant. I have no doubt that the Tinubu/Shettima ticket is capable of making politics of religion and ethnicity irrelevant.
Your state governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule has also cried out against politics of ethnicity and religion. As an elder statesman respected in the state and the nation, what can the governor do in order to do away with such ugly tendencies?
I know religion is emotive not amenable to rationalization. But if the government tries to distribute access to state resources by way of appointment/employment, projects and contracts justly, equitably and justly among the constituent parts, he will go a long way in reducing tendencies towards supplanting politics of performance on that of identity for larger interest. I have no doubt he can overcome with support of those who share his philosophy and values as against those who seek to inflame our worst instinct.
