POLITICAL CAMPAIGN IN NIGERIA – PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS

If there was ever a time Nigerians need to be guided by God in perfecting its polity, it is now. As an objective observer, I can understand many of the fears and suspicion expressed by those against Buhari. But Jonathan has not given any reasonable basis to support his corruption ridden and disastrous government either. In all these confusion, it appears Nigerians on the side of Nigeria are very few indeed. Most are in the extreme ends of pro Jonathan or anti Jonathan, pro Buhari and anti Buhari. Very few occupy the middle ground.

This polarisation has made reasoned debate impossible. It seems every faction has a monopoly of knowledge to solve our nation’s problems. Those who are pro Jonathan never seem to see anything wrong with his actions and inactions as he suffocates life out of our nation. To be pro Jonathan seems to be accepting of all his weaknesses, mess and incompetence. This is the same with the pro Buhari camp as well.

So I ask, where are the Nigerians who are on the side of Nigeria? Wether you are pro Jonathan or Buhari, you must be patriotic enough to criticise your candidate when they have failed to do what is right for the nation, without changing your support for him. Such objectivity gives credibility to your criticism of the opposition, knowing that your candidate too have made mistakes.

The habit of personal name calling and demonising the opponent is bad for the nation. The idea that your opponents are ALL bad and evil is naïve and condescending to the extreme. This infantile dichotomy is bad for our democracy and worse for an issue based campaign. As a Christian, I believe God can use anybody to advance His purpose. God has used ungodly kings to fulfil His agenda before.

The idea that Buhari (or anyone else for that matter) can islamise Nigeria is foolishness and reveals a lack of understanding of the spiritual climate over Nigeria. Islamisation of Nigeria as a nation is an impossibility in the spirit realm. Much warfare has been won in the spirit to make that a certain failure. My counsel is that we should understand that God can use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. And God can manifest His grace in unusual places.

If indeed the choice before us in 2015 is between Jonathan and Buhari, then we should pray and allow God to lead us, knowing that neither men are perfect and both come with their own baggage. No supporter should pretend all is well on their side and that the problem is all with the opposition. Humility is needed, recognising our own imperfections. We need to hold these candidates to account on what they want Nigeria to look like in four years time. We should make it an issue based campaign.

Enough of demonising the other side. Enough of manufacturing fake and malicious stories to stain the other side. Enough of pretending one side alone has the monopoly of solutions. Falsehood will always weaken its creators in the end.

I am still praying for clarity of which side to support and promote and I will let you know once I have decided. But my decision will not be based on any of the popular criteria many talk about. God can save by the many and God can save by the few. We cannot put Him in a box and assume He will always work in a particular way.

Let us be open minded as God cannot touch a closed heart. Let us raise the tone of this campaign. Let us move away from the mud and shine the light of understanding and direction on issues, policies, vision and so on. And let us stop this nonsense of self-righteous pontification and synthetic outrage many habitually portray.

Let the love of God control our actions. God we pray, give us an open heaven Lord; anoint our prayer this day. And move your sovereign hand across this nation. God bless our nation and our leaders.