Maiwada Danmalam
Public perception matters a lot in politics. Things are as correct as perceived by the public notwithstanding the correctness of the perception. The viral letter by the Assistant General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) announcing the Church’s creation of the “Office of Directorate of Politics and Governance”, apparently intended to be a deft religious move to midwife the birth of “President Osinbajo,” is obviously a daft political move which may shoot down Osibanjo’s presidential kite even before it begins to fly.
One of VP Osibanjo’s liabilities as a presidential candidate is his premium subscription with the RCCG which, even among the different sects of the Nigerian christian community is a very unsettling variable and a huge liability which the RCCG should be working to downplay rather than be seen adopting as a political asset. The truth is, Nigeria is so demarcated along religious lines that VP Osibanjo’s mere title of “Pastor” is enough to cost him the support of a large chunk of Nigeria’s Muslim community much less, when he’s seen as a special project of a particular church; one that’s already being seen as the only focus of VP Osibanjo in matters of the state given the many allegations of his inability to separate matters of the state and religious matters. He’s at various times accused of giving undue attention to members of his church where and when the situation demands skillful and impartial disposition. If anything, it’s this aspect of Osibanjo’s perceived identify the RCCG should be working to pacify or altogether debunk. It’s quite a dicey matter that RCCG cannot afford to be seen directly doing so and must outsource.
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I’m afraid, by our actions and inactions, whether knowingly or unknowingly, we have allowed religion to take control of our political responses and inclinations and the rules cannot change overnight, not for Osibanjo or anybody. As we make our bed, so we sleep on it. I wonder why it couldn’t make sense to the RCCG that at some point in pursuit of his presidential ambition, Osibanjo’s predecessor, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a more seasoned politician with more aggressive presidential ambition, had to officially drop the title of “Alhaji” to downplay his regional and religious identity while enhancing a nationalistic image required for the tricky, volatile and highly unpredictable Nigerian political waters. Osibanjo and his handlers are doing exactly the opposite either pushed by naivety or flagrant arrogance and insensitivity to the religious and cultural make-up of Nigeria.
Of course, some people may argue that “JIBWIS” aka “Izala sect” campaigned vigorously for “General Buhari” at different points in his career as a politician, more prominently in 2015. Concurred! But let’s not forget, Buhari is no Osibanjo. While Buhari came into the 2015 arena with 12m votes in his kitty, Osibanjo is going into the 2023 arena not knowing what’s in his kitty beside the goodwill of his “estranged” political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who donated him to the APC in 2015 to balance the Buhari ticket in fulfillment of democratic obligations. Then, the kitty Osibanjo is carrying to the arena in 2023 could be said to be empty given his yet to be resolved conflict of interest with Tinubu, his political godfather.
As it is, Osibanjo is a political orphan being adopted by a very unqualified and clumsy foster political parents, the RCCG, who will do more harm than good to his presidential ambition by pushing him to tread on Nigeria’s most dangerous fault line. It’s my personal opinion he stand better chance going into the arena alone than in RCCG’s baby stroller. I don’t have problem with Osibanjo’s religious identity or his presidential but certainly, I’m worried with his choice of RCCG as a political vehicle to achieve the presidency of a religious diverse Nigeria. If it’s not already too late, he should choose a more all-inclusive platform to showcase the whys and hows he’s qualified to the next President of Nigeria.
