Political atmosphere comes to the boil in Nigeria ahead
of the upcoming elections, and the war of words is observed mostly
between the major competitors, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and
the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Daily Trust, this time a controversial statement was made by Nigeria’s Vice President Muhammed Namadi Sambo.
Speaking February 3 in Minna, Niger State, during the presidential campaign, Sambo noted that the PDP has more Muslims in its leadership than the APC. However, he urged voters not to be guided by the principle of religion in making their choice.
Sambo, who spoke in Hausa, said:
“When people bring the issue of religion to deceive you, our party has more Muslims than APC. Therefore if this (is) the yardstick, we then have an edge.
“Our chairman is a Muslim; the Director General of our campaign is a Muslim likewise. I Namadina Namadina Sambo am a Muslim. It is only our presidential candidate that is a Christian.
“In APC, their chairman is a Christian, their Campaign Director General is a Christian and the Vice President is a Pastor. Now let me ask you, which between the parties has more Muslims?
Aminu Gamawa, Lawyer and Public Affairs Commentator, who shared the video with this extract from Sambo’s speech on Facebook, commented it as follows:
“Is this the lowest moment of the campaign season? Sambo campaigns against Christians in Niger State.
“Even by Nigerian standards, it is not everyday that one sees a national politician openly campaign on the basis of religion and when he is being recorded and beamed live on television. It hardly ever happens.
“But in the last three weeks, that has been the default rhetoric of Nigeria’s number two citizen, vice president Namadi Sambo.
“In several states in the North, whenever the VP gets on the stage to speak, he talks about how he is a devout Muslim who has sponsored so many to Mecca. Recently, he has taken to telling his audience that whereas Buhari was the only major Muslim in the APC end, Pres. Jonathan is the only major Christian in the PDP side of things, which means that the PDP is the party that is most suited to cater to the needs of Northerners.
“In a video from the campaign of the PDP in Niger state today, the vice president, who spoke in Hausa, told the crowd that the APC’s national chairman, John Oyegun, is a Christian; its DG of the campaign, Rotimi Amaechi is also a Christian; and its running mate, Yemi Osinbajo is a pastor and Christian.
Truly amazing that the VP would try to win votes and incite the crowd using such rhetoric.
Source: Channels TV and Scoop
“This strategy of using religion to divide people and get votes is not only ineffective, it is counterproductive and dangerous. PDP is telling Christians not to vote for Buhari because he is Muslim and APC is Muslim party. The same PDP is telling Muslims that APC is a Christian party and only Buhari is a Muslim in the party. This is unacceptable. That is why we must vote for change. PDP under Jonathan has polarized and divided Nigerians.”
Many Nigerians expressed their rage over the speech in the comments to the post.
Sunday Akoji called Sambo “a disgrace to the office he occupies”.
Bukar Umaru responded to Gamawa’s question:
“No this is unacceptable, meaningless and undemocratic. Mr. Sambo, please If you don’t have something to tell people, just keep quite. I completely lost respect in you.”
Andrew Ajayi lamented over the focus on religion, which according to him is dangerous to the country.
“These politicians are nearing to ruin and disintegrate Nigeria by all such comments on campaign podiums. Emphasizing tribalism and religion will set our country on fire. Oh God please protect Nigeria, save our nation from the hands of desperate and selfish politicians. Pray for non violence my people!”
Hauwa Hamisu Abubakar also expressed fear that such claims trigger violence [although the politicians reached an agreement to avert statements that might cause violence - Naij.com].
“Namadi Sambo is indirectly inciting violence otherwise why wl he campaign on the basis of religion? What he just said could set the nation ablaze, he should be held responsible if the elections turn violent. The other day he made a fool of himself in Kano and now this?”
According to Daily Trust, this time a controversial statement was made by Nigeria’s Vice President Muhammed Namadi Sambo.
Speaking February 3 in Minna, Niger State, during the presidential campaign, Sambo noted that the PDP has more Muslims in its leadership than the APC. However, he urged voters not to be guided by the principle of religion in making their choice.
Sambo, who spoke in Hausa, said:
“When people bring the issue of religion to deceive you, our party has more Muslims than APC. Therefore if this (is) the yardstick, we then have an edge.
“Our chairman is a Muslim; the Director General of our campaign is a Muslim likewise. I Namadina Namadina Sambo am a Muslim. It is only our presidential candidate that is a Christian.
“In APC, their chairman is a Christian, their Campaign Director General is a Christian and the Vice President is a Pastor. Now let me ask you, which between the parties has more Muslims?
Aminu Gamawa, Lawyer and Public Affairs Commentator, who shared the video with this extract from Sambo’s speech on Facebook, commented it as follows:
“Is this the lowest moment of the campaign season? Sambo campaigns against Christians in Niger State.
“Even by Nigerian standards, it is not everyday that one sees a national politician openly campaign on the basis of religion and when he is being recorded and beamed live on television. It hardly ever happens.
“But in the last three weeks, that has been the default rhetoric of Nigeria’s number two citizen, vice president Namadi Sambo.
“In several states in the North, whenever the VP gets on the stage to speak, he talks about how he is a devout Muslim who has sponsored so many to Mecca. Recently, he has taken to telling his audience that whereas Buhari was the only major Muslim in the APC end, Pres. Jonathan is the only major Christian in the PDP side of things, which means that the PDP is the party that is most suited to cater to the needs of Northerners.
“In a video from the campaign of the PDP in Niger state today, the vice president, who spoke in Hausa, told the crowd that the APC’s national chairman, John Oyegun, is a Christian; its DG of the campaign, Rotimi Amaechi is also a Christian; and its running mate, Yemi Osinbajo is a pastor and Christian.
Truly amazing that the VP would try to win votes and incite the crowd using such rhetoric.
Source: Channels TV and Scoop
“This strategy of using religion to divide people and get votes is not only ineffective, it is counterproductive and dangerous. PDP is telling Christians not to vote for Buhari because he is Muslim and APC is Muslim party. The same PDP is telling Muslims that APC is a Christian party and only Buhari is a Muslim in the party. This is unacceptable. That is why we must vote for change. PDP under Jonathan has polarized and divided Nigerians.”
Many Nigerians expressed their rage over the speech in the comments to the post.
Sunday Akoji called Sambo “a disgrace to the office he occupies”.
Bukar Umaru responded to Gamawa’s question:
“No this is unacceptable, meaningless and undemocratic. Mr. Sambo, please If you don’t have something to tell people, just keep quite. I completely lost respect in you.”
Andrew Ajayi lamented over the focus on religion, which according to him is dangerous to the country.
“These politicians are nearing to ruin and disintegrate Nigeria by all such comments on campaign podiums. Emphasizing tribalism and religion will set our country on fire. Oh God please protect Nigeria, save our nation from the hands of desperate and selfish politicians. Pray for non violence my people!”
Hauwa Hamisu Abubakar also expressed fear that such claims trigger violence [although the politicians reached an agreement to avert statements that might cause violence - Naij.com].
“Namadi Sambo is indirectly inciting violence otherwise why wl he campaign on the basis of religion? What he just said could set the nation ablaze, he should be held responsible if the elections turn violent. The other day he made a fool of himself in Kano and now this?”
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