Is Buhari Turning Nigeria into an Islamic State?
Tobi Soniyi reviews the claim by the Christian Association of Nigeria and Christian leaders that President Muhammadu Buhari plans to Islamise Nigeria, concluding that the facts do not appear to support the claim
Religion is a very touchy issue in Nigeria even though the constitution claims that the country is a secular state. Hardly any week passes by without someone or an organisation accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of planning to make Nigeria an Islamic country. Last week, Christian leaders in the country called on the National Assembly to prevail on the federal government to withdraw from the Organisation of Islamic Countries and other international religious bodies.
They made the call at a gathering of prominent Christian leaders in the country at the Shepherdhill Baptist Church, Obanikoro, Lagos where they discussed the challenges facing the Church in the country.
The meeting called by President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, was attended by the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye; the Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo; the General Overseer, The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, Archbishop Mike Okonkwo; and former CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.
The Fear
Since Buhari took over power in May 29, 2015, CAN has repeatedly accused him of trying to make Nigeria an Islamic country.
Respected constitutional lawyer and author, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, SAN, in 2016 alleged that there was a grand plan by Buhari to islamise Nigeria.
Nwabueze, while fielding questions from newsmen after a meeting of Igbo Leader of thought, (ILT), in Enugu said: “This is a very crucial meeting for us because we have not met for more than a year. And if you look at our agenda, such critical issues for discussion, issues like Islamisation agenda and its impact on the unity of the country.
“Islamisation agenda is real, it’s not something that somebody has just conjured up, it’s there. And it’s been implemented gradually. Look at the security agencies; every aspect of security, islamists are in control in its entirety. They are methodically, the way they are going about its implementation. Look at Fulani herdsmen menace, it is part of it.”
Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose who has not hidden his disapproval of anything Buhari had also accused the president of mapping ways towards making Nigeria an Islamic nation.
Fayose made the allegations while delivering a speech at the inter–denominational thanksgiving held in Port-Harcourt to celebrate the victory of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike after the Supreme Court upheld his election.
He said: “They have started subtle moves to make Nigeria an Islamic nation, but God will stop them. This was done in 1984, it failed, it would fail again.”
Similarly a coalition of over 14 Christian groups in Nigeria had accused the Presidency under Buhari of making desperate plans by to turn the country to an Islamic state, “through the back-door”, citing a bill before the National Assembly to expand the jurisdiction of Sharia law.
According to them, the Bill in the House of Representatives proposing amendment to Section 262(1) of the 1999 constitution with a view to expanding the existing jurisdiction of the Sharia Court of Appeal and the state by including criminal matters was insensitive and inconsistent with democratic and republican ideals of the constitution and the Nigerian State.
They said: “The deployment of the resources and institutions of the state for the promotion of Sharia is unconscionable and violation of the constitution and an offence against the sensibilities of the diverse Nigerian people.
“The current trend whereby states deploy public revenue to fund activities, functions and programs of Islam are discriminatory and a clear adoption of the Shariah as state religion to the detriment of non-Muslims. It is unjust and a violation of the ideals of sections 16(1) (a)(b) and 17(1)(2)( a)(3)(a)Y(b) of the 1999 Constitution which provides equal status and opportunity for every citizen.
“The selective and discriminatory economic empowerment of Muslim clerics by some states in the North, in particular Kano State, by their placement on the government payroll is a clear violation of the ideals of democracy and social justice as entrenched in section 14(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
“The proposed Kaduna Religious law violates the freedom of association, expression, Conscience and Right of worship as entrenched in sections 15(3) (d), 38, 39 and 40 of the 1999 Nigerian constitution.
“There are adequate provisions in the Penal Code to curtail religious extremism, criminality and terrorism. The escalation of religious extremism, criminality and terrorism is due to the failure of leadership to enforce extant laws due to religious bigotry and discriminatory tendencies and sympathy for religious persecution, extremism and terrorism.
“The proposed Kaduna Religious law is an attempt to adopt and institutionalise preferred religion by the state and religious practices acceptable to the government for the time being.”
The Flashpoints
The brit bat over whether Nigeria was gravitating towards becoming a member of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) became louder during the military era.
The dispute reached a tipping point in 1986 when news broke out that Nigeria had been admitted into the OIC as its 46th member in January 1986.
Ebitu Ukiwe, then a Navy Commodore and second in command to the then Military Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, had to declare publicly that the decision to join OIC was not discussed at any level of government.
In 2011, when the then governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi introduced measures to launch Islamic banking in Nigeria, CAN kicked. He was accused of trying to Islamise Nigeria through the banking system. Since the idea came when a southern Christian, Dr Goodluck Jonathan was in power, the fear was quickly allayed. The banking system has been on since then. It has not led to the country being islamized.
In 2014, CAN, reacting to a combination of factors including the threat by Boko Haram to turn Nigeria to an Islamic country, the activities of the ravaging herdsmen and a court ruling in Osun that upheld the state governoment’s decision on mode of dress to schools, asked Christians in the country to fast and pray for 31 days to stop Islamisation.
When Buhari came in 2015, the herdsmen went on rampage. They became more visible in the southern parts of the country attacking and kidnapping farmers. The response of the government at the centre did not help matter. Conveniently, CAN concluded that the attacks
Hardly any week passes by without someone or an organisation accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of planning to make Nigeria an Islamic country
by the herdsmen were part of the plan to turn the country into an Islamic country.
While this was going on, the president chose to concentrate state’s security apparatuses in the hands of Muslims from the north. This deepened the fear in the south. Again, CAN interpreted this as parts of the grand plan to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state.
The Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), with supervisory powers over Prisons Service, Immigration Service, Fire Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, hails from Kaduna State.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, is from Borno State. The National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.), is also from Borno State. Also from Borno State is the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
The Minister of Defence, Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan Ali (retd.), hails from Zamfara State, while the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, is from Bauchi State. The InspectorGeneral of Police, Ibrahim Idris, hails from Niger State.
Also from Niger State is the CommandantGeneral of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abdullahi Muhammadu. The Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Musa Daura, is from Katsina State. However, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, is from Ekiti State in the South-West. The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammed Babandede, is from Jigawa State, while the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (rtd), is from Bauchi State.The Controller-General of the Nigeria Prison Service, Alhaji Ja’afaru Ahmed, is from Kebbi State. Nevertheless, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, is from Cross River State. The new DirectorGeneral of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Dawuda. He replaced Ambassador Ayodele Oke. These appointments made CAN and other Christians leaders uncomfortable.
In March 2016, Buhari, after meeting with the then king of Saudi Arabia, Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz., announced that Nigeria would join the Saudi Arabia led coalition of Muslim countries against terrorism.
CAN had in December 2015 cautioned against joining the 34-member coalition, called ISMAT.
“This singular gesture of the Buhari government betrays so much, and tends to confirm our fears that underneath everything this government is doing, there is an agenda with strong Islamic undertones, aimed at undermining Nigeria’s pluralistic character and neutrality regarding government’s affiliation to any one religion,” Musa Asake, CAN General Secretary said in a statement.
Buhari, however, defended his decision to drag Nigeria into the group during an interview with the Al Jazeera television when he said: “If there is an Islamic coalition to fight terrorism, Nigeria will be part of it because we are casualties of Islamic terrorism.”
When asked whether or not his decision would go well with Nigerian Christians who make up about half of the country’s population, Buhari said, “I have just told you it is the Boko Haram itself that declared loyalty to ISIS. Now, ISIS is basically based in Islamic countries. If there is a coalition to fight terrorism, why can’t Nigeria be part of it.
“Why can’t those Christians that complain go and fight terrorism in Nigeria or fight the militants in the South. It is Nigeria that matters, not the opinions of some religious bigots,” he added.
He however said he had no plan to change Nigeria’s multi-religious nature by his actions, saying, “How can I change the religious identity of Nigeria?”
Then came the Sukuk Bond Controversy
When the Federal Government floated the Sukuk Bond, CAN was quick to argue that it was part of strategies to islamise Nigeria.
In a statement by its General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, CAN demanded the abrogation of the laws and framework behind the bond.
It also threatened to seek legal redress if that was not done.
CAN also said government was trying to sell the nation to Arab countries through the Sukuk Bond, arguing that the government was pursuing an Islamisation agenda.
CAN repeated the argument that Nigeria is a secular state and that government was expected to be neutral on issues involving religion. It argued that the promotion of a sectional religious financial policy was a violation of the constitution.
It said, “The Christian Association of Nigeria has been protesting against this aberration since the Osun State Government, under Governor Rafiu Aregbesola, embarked on this violation of the Constitution.
“Rather than stand in the defence of the constitution, it is disappointing to note that the Federal Government is pursuing what is an outright confirmation of an Islamisation agenda.
“The recent floating of Sukkuk Bond by the government is not only sectional but illegal and a violation of the Constitution. Every law that has been promulgated to back the Sukuk issuance and promote an Islamic banking system in Nigeria is ultra vires, illegal, null and void.”
It said that no referendum or convened a Constituent Assembly that passed a resolution that the nation had transmute into an Islamic State.
“Therefore, the manipulations and scheming to smuggle the country into a full blown Islamic state should stop; these manipulations became apparent with the smuggling of Nigeria into the Organisation of Islamic Conference in 1986 by the Ibrahim Babangida military junta,” Asake said.
CAN said that the International Monetary Fund had stated that the issuance of Sukuk by non-Islamic countries was a breach of the religious neutrality of the government of such states.
“The FG must dismantle all legal and institutional framework established to promote Islamic financing in Nigeria.
“We affirm that the territorial integrity of Nigeria is undermined through the issuance of Sukuk in the country. We hope that the government shall desist from its policies of unbridled religious sectionalism,” CAN said. Where Are We Despite all the claims and counter-claims, it is wrong to claim that Nigeria has become or is on its way to becoming an Islamic state. It is also wrong to accuse Buhari of trying to Islamise Nigeria.
Buhari is a Muslim. Naturally, his religion will most likely affect his disposition to government. The same can be said of formerpresident Jonathan. The then CAN President, Ayo Oritsejafor became so influential to the extent that his aircraft was used to ferry money to South Africa allegedly for the purchase of arms and ammunition to fight Boko Haram. Yet, nobody accused Jonathan of trying to islamise Nigeria.
Not many Christians know that Muslims hate to work on Fridays. In Islamic countries, Sunday is a working day. Friday is for worship. In Nigeria, Muslims works on Fridays when their counterparts else where rest on that day. The Christians take this for granted.
It is true that Nigeria is a secular state but by conferring on Christians the right to worship and rest on Sunday, the Nigerian violates its secularity and confers undue advantage on Christians. With due respect to CAN, and others who like to make issue out of religion, Nigeria is already altered in favour of Christianity.
It is difficult to fault the reasoning of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo when he said that it was impossible for anyone to Islamise Nigeria, as claimed by CAN
Osinbajo, who spoke during the Greater Nigeria Pastors Conference convened by Apostle Wale Adefarasin and Rev. Abayomi Kasali, explained that the recent uproar over the country’s subscription to Sukuk Bonds was baseless.
Osinbajo said, “Part of the problem is the failure of Christian leadership to take its rightful place. We focus our minds on something we call the Islamic agenda. We look for it everywhere as if we are looking for demons.
“But where is the Christian agenda. Are we not entitled to one? We are too divided as Christians to have an agenda. The key to the unity and progress of Nigeria is in the church.”
He explained that there were no plans to Islamise Nigeria through the Sukuk bond or the country’s membership of the Islamic Development Bank.
He said that apart from Nigeria, many nations of the world including the United States of America and the United Kingdom had also embraced the system as a result of its progressive nature.
He said, “The Sukuk is an Islamic concept, which enables people to have access to credit. It is essentially like a bond. The US, UK, China, South Africa have all used the Sukuk. Once there is money in the market, let us not get sentimental. The most important thing is for us to use those monies well.
“Some people say there are some hidden things in this arrangement and that one day somebody is going to take us over. Where? How will that happen? These are straightforward financial systems used all over the world. I don’t think it presents any real problem. It is a very progressive financial system.
“Nigeria became a member of the Islamic Development Bank in 2005 and the first person to sit as director of the bank was Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The second person to sit as a director is the current Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, and both of them are Christians. So, when people talk about Islamic agenda, sometimes I am lost.
“The person who brought us into the bank is not a Fulani or Northerner, the person was a Christian, so why are we complaining? Nigeria is the fourth largest shareholder in the Islamic Bank. This wasn’t Buhari’s making. We must have facts before saying things. But above all, we must ask ourselves if being a member of the bank profits us or not.
“For me, I have no problem with this. We can use what we get there to develop our society. This is the most important for me.”
Time to Change the Narrative
CAN’s clam that Nigeria is being islamized is beginning to sound hollow. The organization needs to insist on what is right for Nigerians and not just for Christians alone. CAN should insist on rule of law and respect for human dignity whether the person affected is a Muslim, Christian or an un-believer.
We are afflicted by same problems and challenges. There is no hardship a Christian is going through today that Muslims are not passing through. It is high time CAN spoke for Nigerians. Today, there are as many jobless Christians as there are Muslims. Our country stands to get better if CAN speaks against oppression, rape and other injustices in the country.
CAN should insist on rule of law and respect for human dignity whether the person affected is a Muslim, Christian or an un-believer