The recent comment from The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) on the political aspiration of Professor Yemi Osinbajo (PYO) is generating serious ripple, furore and widespread condemnation in the nation. This controversy stems from the fact that such an unguarded comment is capable of polarising the nation along religious prejudices.
Recently, the head of politics and governance of the RCCG, Pastor Timothy Olaniyan said; ” Vice President Osinbajo can change the narrative of governance if elected.” By all parameters of reasoning, this is a comment that could not be detached from political camping on the basis of religion. It is an abberation to the constitutional provisions of electioneering campaign. Hence, the need for a scholastic scrutiny on its’ implications.
The remark by the RCCG is no difference from the allegation of Islamization of Nigeria levied against President Mohammadu Buhari (PMB).The RCCG may be harping on illusion if the church thinks she can win presidency through warped sentiment. Such an action might affect the chances of PYO because the northern Muslims might feel threatened. At the snap of fingers by their leaders, almost the entire north might cast their vote against any “Christian candidate” taken cognisance of their numerical advantage.
Religion has taken a controversial position in Nigerian politics. Due to its heterogeneous nature and freedom of religion, the nation is vest with religious diversities: Christianity, Islam and African Traditional Religion.These religions are intertwined with political activities in the country. However, political office holders and religious leaders are misusing religion as a tool to get to power. Suffice to say that some religious leaders are mishandling it to get personal gain from those who hold public offices. By implication, religion has been used negatively in Nigeria and its impulse is affecting political development in our nation.
Reacting to the comment, Reno Omokri, a fierce and detrabilised public opinion analyst had posited that; “it is very dangerous for the RCCG to politically promote Osinbajo. Churches are meant to promote Christ. If churches and mosques start promoting candidates, then they are no longer religious organisations and should start paying tax!”.
Given the critical role that political parties play in constitutionalism, democratization and development, the proper design and functioning of political parties is crucial as democracy and constitutionalism is deepened in Nigeria.
The Nigerian constitution presupposes that an individual has freedom to practise religion of his or her choice without government interference. This is where secularism comes into play.
Secularism is a legal position in the supreme law of Nigeria, stating that religious belief should not influence any governmental decisions. In other words, secularism is a documented position in a constitution relating to political belief in the separation of religion and state. While people are allowed to practise whatever they believe in as their religion, the government must not allow that to influence public policy.
Secularism is the principle based in secular humanism that seeks to conduct human affairs based on secular and naturalistic considerations. It is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civic affairs and the state and may be broadened to a similar position concerning the need to remove or minimize the role of religion in any public sphere.The term “secularism” has a broad range of meanings and in the most schematic, may encapsulate any stance that promotes the secular in any given context. It may connote atheism, naturalism, non-sectarianism, neutrality on topics of religion, or the complete removal of religious symbols from public institutions.
As a philosophy, secularism seeks to interpret life based on principles derived solely from the material world without recourse to religion. It shifts the focus from religion towards temporal and material concerns. Therefore, the statement of the pastor is anti-constitution.
Another dissection is the issue of diverse interests within the church. It is illogical for the church to have prioritised PYO over other brethren in their fold. For instance, Senator Remi Tinubu is of the RCCG. Such a campaign could create division. Senator Mrs Tinubu who is a notable pastor in the church might feel alienated because the RCCG pastor’s comment is a direct ‘sermon’ against her husband. She, like PYO, has allies who are sympathetic to her aspirations as first lady. And when such partisan remarks dwells deeply in the church, it might lead to serious crisis capable of pulling down the terbanacle.
The directive from the vineyard has opened serious questions. Thus, has God delegated to religious leaders, the authority to wage war in order to achieve religious aims? Do clerics have the authority to suppress heretics? What authority does the state retain when its’ principles conflict with God’s? Is the authority of the natural law ultimately grounded in divine law? These and other questions animated much of the discussion among medieval and modern philosophers alike.
With the emergence of liberal democracy in the modern world, the types of questions that philosophers asked about the interrelation between religion and political authority began to shift in large measure. In the first place, divine authorization accounts of political authority had lost the day to consent-based approaches. Political authority in a liberal democracy is grounded in the consent of the people to be ruled rather than in God’s act of authorization.
Let me conclude by adding that when politics rides in the same cart with religion, whirlwind follows. It would amount to injustice on one’s conscience if an opinion such as the one in contention is adhered to because such opinion is not worth a brass of farthing.
Comrade Lekan Badmus is a columnist and public opinion analyst on ODUDUWA NEWS.