‘Islamists’ Must Not Rule Nigeria Again, Danjuma, Others Warn

The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has warned against allowing ‘islamists’ rule Nigeria again.

The group of notable leaders; a former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd); Prof. Joseph Otubu, Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro (retd), Archbishop Magnus Atilade, and others, mainly from the Middle Belt and southern part of the country expressed concern over “another brazen attempt of the President Buhari administration to establish its undemocratic character and sectional purpose in government.”

“In 2015, Nigerians unwittingly elected an Islamist government into office, supposedly on a platform of democracy. The Islamists belong to the Salafist sect and they believe that modern society should run according to the 6th Century pattern of Islam. Islamism is not a religion but a political ideology that holds that wherever Islam is, Islam must dominate. That is one reason why Islamism is called “political Islam”.”

In a statement signed by Solomon Asemota, SAN, chairman of the forum, they accused Buhari of a “judicial coup” against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

Onnoghen was suspended from office by President Buhari last Friday over allegations of false declaration of assets.

According the NCEF, what is at stake is the “apparent unwillingness of Christians, as well as that of the generality of Nigerians, to understand the core problem of this country.

“Since its inception, the NCEF has consistently sought to enlighten Nigerians that the problem of this country is simply the conflict between democracy and sharia. Until Nigerians understand that a section of the country is determined to truncate democracy and enthrone sharia as the national ideology, they would not be able to address the recurring conflicts in the country.”

It further stated that “all Islamists are Muslims, all Muslims are not Islamists. The Islamists have no regards for human rights; they detest democracy, and do not want western education. This is why “Boko” is “Haram” and they hold tenaciously to the doctrine of “sacred space” which claims that all the earth has been given in perpetuity to Muslims by Allah. That explains why a grazing reserve would become a grazing colony and why death and destruction have been unleashed in the Middle Belt and on Christian communities in northern parts of Nigeria. All these calamities occur because some people believe all the land in Nigeria is their property. The Islamists are driving a dual Fulanization and Islamization agenda in Nigeria. Meanwhile, the other ethnic nationalities still appear oblivious of the issues playing out in their country.”

According to them, ‘the recurring distress in Nigeria is due to the fact that the country elected a president on the platform of democracy who proceeded to run the country with sharia ideology. It is only with this awareness that the discriminatory and sectional policies of the present administration can be understood. The appointment of only Muslims from the North into sensitive positions and the flagrant violation of the Federal Character Principle in the Constitution is not democracy but sharia. It is sharia that is at the root of the jihad that has been launched in the country. Nigerians should realize that there is a deliberate attempt by the Islamists to truncate the constitution and replace it with sharia as the source of legislation.

It is with this as background that the questionable suspension of the CJN Walter Onnoghen should be situated. The “judicial coup” is not only against the Judiciary, but also the Constitution that is under attack and with it, the Sovereignty of the Nigerian State as a Democratic Nation.”

The forum urged Nigerians to resist the terrible intentional infraction of the constitution and in this case involving the CJN, noting that “the larger picture should not be overlooked or else, the Islamists will surreptitiously back down on this case and concentrate on “winning” the 2019 elections and launch more virulent attacks on democracy. It should not be forgotten that in August last year, a “coup” was planned against the National Assembly and Nigerians can now attest that the Islamists are relentless.”

They argued that “in order to put an end to these recurring decimal of violence, conflicts, suspicion, distrust, insecurity, poverty and other vices plaguing Nigeria, NCEF reiterates that Nigerians should ensure that Islamists are not voted into power in 2019. What Nigeria requires are genuine Democrats. In the few days left before the elections, pro-democracy groups should embark on serious mobilization to elect truly Democratic persons into Office. The Islamists are becoming desperate and another four years in office for them will spell doom for liberty and equity in Nigeria. The conspiracy of the Islamists has tentacles reaching into foreign Islamist nations interested in exporting their brand of religious bigotry into this country.

“To lay these crises to rest permanently, Nigerians should insist on the following:

A return to 1963 republican constitution and parliamentary system of governance. The new zones agreed upon should be autonomous with zonal constitutions similar to regional constitution at independence. The current 1999 constitution operating on the basis of the dual ideologies of democracy and sharia should be abrogated. Nigerians should insist on the constitution agreed upon by the founding fathers of the country, anchored only on democracy. No Islamist should receive support at the polls.”