February 25: Beyond ethnicity and religion

• Published date: 14 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

THERE are four major presidential candidates for next month's election. They are: Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).

Their campaign strategies and manifestos differ. These speak volumes about what they represent and how they will manage the affairs of the country, if any of them is elected President. While some observers have identified ethnicity and religion as core factors that are likely to shape the February 25 contest, a deeper look reveals that there are other salient factors that will point to the direction the poll will take. But only the well informed about the nation's political terrain can see and understand them.

First, only a candidate who can appeal to the generality of Nigerians, irrespective of tribe and belief, is likely to triumph at the poll.

This is why the debate on the impact of ethnicity and religion has dominated the current electioneering. Thus, candidates are very sensitive to the two factors. But it is becoming clearer that 2023 is adorning a similar garb that 1993 adorned when religion and ethnicity took the back seat.

How are the candidates responding to these twin factors? Former Vice President Atiku, in an earlier television interview he granted in Hausa, regressed into primordial sentiment, urging Northerners to vote for a Northern candidate.

Many Nigerians condemned the regression to ethnicity at the expense of national unity and cohesion. The statement was not only offensive to the North; it also sparked apprehension in the South because of the insinuation that the Wazirin Adamawa had obviously adopted a language of division. The self-styled unifier had employed a language of discord. But Atiku has recanted, saying he was misinterpreted and misunderstood.

However, if a campaign is anchored on ethnicity and religion, can a flag bearer scale through when the unresolved party crisis and controversy over the presidential candidacy has remained knotty?

For the Obidients, the supporters of Peter Obi, two factors are their pillars. Most of them are targeting Igbo in their Southeast homeland and others scattered across the country. Also, they are bringing religion to the front burner, emphasising that Christians should vote for Obi because he is a Catholic.

The disadvantage of this approach is that Obi's bid for the presidency has an...