Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Former Governor of Ekiti State
has called on all to channel their political discourse
as we approach the 2015 polls around ideology not
identity and religion.
“Our challenge as Civil Society and enlightened
citizens as we approach the 2015 elections is to
shape political discourse around ideology rather
than identity, so that candidates will be judged
much more by how they intend to address our
challenges not by where they hail from or what
faith they practice”, he said.
Dr. Fayemi made this call while delivering his paper
at the GLEEHD Foundation’s ThinkTank Series with
the theme “2015 Elections: What has Faith Got to
do with it?”, in Lagos recently.
He accused the ruling party of poor performance
and for stoking ethno-religious sentiments and
pushing the country to the brink of crisis as a way
of retaining power in 2015. “This can be deciphered
from the ethnic jingoists who brazenly threaten fire
and brimstone if President Jonathan is not returned
in 2015, as well as the predilection of our President
to stage manage visits to influential spiritual
leaders and exploit their goodwill to masquerade as
the anointed candidate of people of a particular
faith”, he maintained.
Speaking on the same faith ticket, Fayemi observed
that the issue of faith as it concerns the 2015
elections is being reduced to discussions about
viability of a ticket that features Presidential and
Vice-Presidential candidates of the same faith.
According to him, it is not absolute for all parties in
serious contention to ensure both the Muslim and
Christian faiths are represented as either
Presidential or Vice-Presidential candidates. In his
words, “this unfortunately skirts around the main
issue and does not address the substance of how
we want to get out of the mess we currently find
ourselves in.”
Speaking further, he expressed fear on the 2015
elections, “we are going into the 2015 elections a
deeply divided people, with the elections itself being
a potential source of polarization”.
In forestalling the unforeseen, he called on all civil
societies and individuals to push for peace and
National Cohesion to the top of the agenda as the
single most important factor in determining who
the next president of Nigeria should be. Also, he
admonished Civil Societies and the Media to take
note and moderate the rhetoric of the political
operatives towards the 2015 elections and to
ensure that the contents of the political
communication of various candidates and their
parties are within the confines of civility and
advises that the political debates must not be
poised with incitement as most conflicts begin from
the realm of political communication.
Fayemi advocated for the harmonious co-operation
of Politics and Religion in bringing out the best that
is in man, as the 2015 elections is a great
opportunity to redefine Nigeria as a peaceful and
prosperous secular state with functional citizens of
different tribes and tongues, working together to
make Nigeria the greatest country in the world. www.vanguardngr.com/2014/11/2015-shape-political-discourse-around-ideology-not-religion-fayemi/