1 major factor that is currently dividing opinions ahead of the 2023 presidential election

With just 8 months remaining before we have another Presidential election in Nigeria, a number of things are currently under serious consideration as Nigerians continue their quest for future leadership. From candidates antecedents to their political party reputation, the race for the office of presidency is now in full swing.

However, of the many things currently dividing opinions, none is much stronger right now than the candidate’s religious beliefs. As you all already know, Nigeria is a country encapsulated with two main religions; “Christianity” and “Islam”. Seeing that the top three Presidential candidates are Atiku Abubakar (Muslim), Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Muslim) and Peter Obi (Christian), many are of the opinion that their respective running mates must emerge from another religion in order to balance their votes.

In light of this, some prominent persons like Governor Kaduna State Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai and Reno Omokri have come out to say that religion should not play a role in how the nation elects its leaders. In a report made by People’s Gazette earlier today, El-Rufai said that we shouldn’t be looking at religion if we want to develop this country. In concordance to this, former Presidential aide Reno Omokri revealed through an Instagram post that what Nigeria needs is a reliable government and not a religious government.

On the other hand, former minister of culture and tourism Femi Fani-Kayode, while speaking in an interview with Channels TV maintained that religion cannot be ignored in politics.

However, it is sad that many Nigerians are putting more emphasis on religion rather than the proficiency and capability of the candidate. Atiku Abubakar, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Peter Obi should be allowed to choose suitable running mates without being clouded by religious sentiments. Nigeria is going through serious insecurity challenges and economic crisis, and truth be told, religion will not fix this problems for the country, but competent and transparent leaders will.