“Muslim-Muslim Ticket: A Jihadist Agenda Against Christians” was among my many fierce critiques of Tinubu’s political strategy in 2023. Yes, you heard me correctly – it was a strategy. While it served purposes beyond just politics, we must remember that politics is always driven by interests. Tinubu targeted a crowd whose loyalty was rooted mainly in tribal demographics, cleverly using religion – Islam – as a deceptive tool to advance their agenda.
Islamic fundamentalists are pragmatic in approach, deploying complex networks with deceptive systems invisible to the undiscerning. The tragedy for Christians, Churches, and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the game of politics is not a lack of numbers – the final decider of democracy – nor of money, a veritable tool to advance interests. It is the lack of discernment to read the game, the deep thinking to craft strategy, the tenacity to stay committed to it, and the pragmatism to tweak the game when needed to keep and deliver their numbers at the polls – topped with vigilance to ensure their votes count.
Nothing describes politics better than “the more you look, the less you see.” Yet, politics demands you get up and get involved. The Church, particularly in southern Nigeria, sits at ease in Zion, looking over the Middle Belt in pity but without empathy for Christians in the north, watching fundamentalists break down the wall of the Middle Belt as they advance southwards. This siddon look attitude has already doomed Christians in the 2027 game.
Ask Rev. Father Alia, the priest-turned-governor of Benue State, who talked him into contesting in 2023 and backed him with numbers and resources to deliver his victory. If his conscience still holds the truth, his response could save the Church from calamity. If Bishop David Oyedepo reveals the security strategy that kept Winners Chapel safe in Kaduna during his early ministry, maybe the Church will awaken from its slumber.
Same Oyedepo, same anointing and wisdom, built in the south what he could not build in decades in the north. The story of Bishop Oyedepo mirrors the reality of striving Christian organisations in Nigeria. ECWA, which birthed him in the faith, could have been ten times bigger. TEKAN, COCIN, Lutheran, and other churches of the erstwhile Sudan Mission remain held down by the Risala agenda of 1903 – an expansionist Islamic agenda that created a caustic environment for Christian growth through political manipulation.
Nigeria’s politics is tribal first, then religious, using religion to drive vested tribal interests. Democracy is a game of numbers. So, blame no adept player who invents demography to stay ahead. If you think Tinubu is a “demon” for leveraging the existing power formula, then spell “democracy”… demo… Its lost letter ‘n’ begins the name Nigeria.
The Fulani remain Nigeria’s most advanced political tribe, wielding the Sultan’s throne as the nation’s highest undemocratic authority, recognised since colonial times. Hausas, the largest tribe by number, were annexed by the Fulani, creating the “Hausa-Fulani” brand to harness Hausa resources – language, population, culture, religion – to dominate Yoruba and Igbo.
If Nigeria were split evenly, it would only be along religion: Christianity and Islam. The Sultanate under Fulani brand of Islam remains the “permanent” constituent of Nigerian politics, manipulating the Hausa/Fulani and Muslim demographics. Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket strategy in 2023 appealed religiously to the north, while “Emilokan” appealed tribally to the Yoruba in Abeokuta, neutralising Buhari’s clique that sought to checkmate him.
Today, many label Peter Obi a bigot for visiting churches, forgetting the same Fulani-north that rejected Igbo-Christian Obi in 2023 now courts him desperately for 2027. Tinubu and Obi remain pawns in a bigger game. Christians, Churches, and CAN must think beyond 2027 and reposition Nigeria away from tribal deception masked as religion.
The Fulani ethnic agenda, “Risala of 1903,” sought to continue Uthman Dan Fodio’s jihad, halted by the British in Sokoto in 1903. They had subdued Hausaland, supplanting rulers and reducing Hausas to second-class citizens. Some Fulani leaders still claim Nigeria belongs to them. Buhari’s open visa policy allowed Fulani influx across Africa, fuelling fears of land takeovers.
As national leader of the Fulani, the Sultan of Sokoto – “Amirul Mumuni” (Commander of the Faithful) and “Sarkin Musulmi” (King of Muslims) – wields vast authority. Jihad cannot be launched or sustained without his approval. He also presides over Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), the umbrella body promoting Islam. Yet, while thousands die across Zamfara, Niger, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Sokoto, and others, the Sultan remains muted. Statesmanship comes with responsibility. If insurgency cannot continue without his consent, then his silence indicts his leadership.
Yoruba wisdom says, “It’s better not to ascend the throne than claim no control over your domain.” The Sultan cannot claim helplessness. He should call his people to order and end this carnage.
Meanwhile, what is the link between Professor Ishaq Akintola of MURIC – whose NGO advocated Sharia in Yoruba land years before Tinubu’s rise – and the Sultan? Who funds his agenda? Aregbesola’s renaming of Osun State as “State of Osun” nearly became “Islamic State of Osun,” hidden only by strategic deception.
Professor Ishaq Oloyede, as Secretary General of NSCIA, endorsed the Sultan’s mandate for Sharia arbitration panels in the southwest. The circular was signed by an Igbo Muslim, Imam Haroun Muhammad Eze, showing how tribal identity becomes secondary once some convert to Islam.
The world has moved beyond primitive conquest. Fulani elders must stand up for peace. The Sultan’s leadership is crucial to Nigeria’s stability. Yet, Christians and CAN have no “Akintola” or “MURIC” to champion their cause. The Church remains rich enough to buy Nigeria but too greedy to invest collectively in power structures and control.
Is there hope – even simple hope – for Christians in Nigeria’s current structure? What can Churches and CAN do to change the trajectory and rise into the 2027 game?
Watch out for my next piece: How Christians, Churches, and CAN Can Get Into the Power Game of 2027.
