• Re: Kperogi’s fallacious and illogical allegation of ‘religious fundamentalism’ against Osinbajo
By Oluwafemi Popoola
I’ve followed Kperogi’s write-ups, especially on issues about Nigeria and this present government, his thought process and political opinions are usually shrouded in fallacies and illogicalities.
The new twist in Kperogi’s latest published article was his accusation that the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, “is guilty of religious fundamentalism,” where he stated that Osinbajo Presidency in 2023 “would, without a doubt, plunge Nigeria into the depths of a smouldering religious volcano that will hasten its self-immolation.”
In the said article which was titled, “10 Reasons Osinbajo Will Ignite a Religious Civil War,” he alleged that “the RCCG memo that asked churches to actively support its members vying for political offices was inspired by Osinbajo and is consistent with his history of exclusivist religious politics.”
After Nigerians dressed Kperogi down for his hatchet job on Osinbajo over his phoney and baseless calumny, ostensibly for his personal intention to cause war to trouble Nigeria’s fragile peace, 24 hours later, in an affront against Nigerians’ intelligence, the fleer came up with another offensive against Vice President Osinbajo, entitled: “Osinbajo’s Fanaticism Has Been Hiding In Plain Light,” which is a rehash of his tattered thought flow.
Combining his latest allegations, they reminded me of a similar baseless claim made on April 21, 2021, by this same academic-turned political hired gun, alleging that the selection of personal staff of the Vice President was skewed in favour of “his Yoruba ethnic group.”
We later got to know about a long list of Northerners, apart from Yoruba, working in the office of the VP including, among others, Mrs Maryam Uwais (Special Adviser on Social Investment, from Kano State); Ambassador Abdullahi Gwary (Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs, from Yobe State); my humble self (Senior Special Assistant on Legal, Research and Compliance Matters, from Sokoto State); Mr Ismaeel Ahmed (Senior Special Assistant on Social Investment, from Kano State); Mr Bege Bala (Special Assistant, BPE, from Kaduna State); Abdurahman Baffa Yola (Special Assistant on Political Matters); Mrs Susan Chagwa (Special Assistant on Household and Social Events, from Adamawa State), and others cutting across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
Certainly, the allegations of religious extremism peddled against the Vice President are objectionably and glaringly malicious and even laughable, unlikely to be believed by any discerning follower of the many activities of the Vice President.
For example, the Office of the Vice President, according to those who are close to the VP is like a mini-Nigeria. The level of heterogeneity accomplished in the office is a reflection of all segments of the society – geopolitical, ethnic, religious, gender, and youth representation.
In what pure conscience would you accuse a man known to suspend meetings to enable the Muslim faithful to perform prayers; a leader known to rescue Muslim orphans and shelter them and equally offers educational opportunities that safeguard and promote their religious practices? Someone known to host the breaking of Ramadan Fast (Iftar) with religious leaders and Muslim communities from across the country; also known to timeously intervene in the resolution of thorny inter-religious issues with potentials for escalation can certainly not be said to be promoting any particular religion. How do you substantiate religious bigotry with a noble-minded leader we all know is unprejudiced, who is refined mentally and spiritually?
In 2021, when the topic of the “Christianization agenda” against the Vice President was made louder by this same Farooq and one Dr Musbau Akinbode” who also wrote a piece entitled “Osinbajo’s Stealth Christianization Agenda” the Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), was among the Islamic organisations that came out to defend the Vice President. They insisted Osinbajo is a Christian that accommodates other religions and, attested to the fact that he has more Muslims working in his office. That kind of statement in defence of the VP from MURIC known to be a critical Islamic group in the country is a big deal and shows the kind of person the VP is.
According to MURIC, “What happened was that the director of MURIC was invited to deliver a lecture at an Islamic event organized by the League of Imams, Ikeja branch. We stand to be corrected but at least, it was organized by an Ikeja-based Islamic organisation. The programme was held in one of the popular hotels in Ikeja, Lagos. We also remember that Dr Saheed Timehin, another lecturer from the Lagos State University, delivered the second lecture at the event.”
“It was after we arrived at the venue that we learnt that VP Osinbajo was to be the chairman of the occasion or the special guest of honour. We felt that the organisers had committed a fatal mistake by inviting a Christian and a pastor for that matter. We thought the VP would not come and if at all he would honour them, he would send a representative. But we were wrong. Yemi Osinbajo was there physically.
“He also gave the organisers so much time after the programme because we remember him inviting about six Muslim leaders to what looked like a conference room. The director of MURIC was one of them. He asked them to table whatever they wanted the Federal Government (FG) to do for their organisations.” This scenario MURIC painted does not suggest the personality of someone with religious bigotry. No.
His sentiment, the RCCG in a recent memo issued had hinted at the creation of an office of the Directorate of Politics and Governance to help coordinate the affairs, engagements and activities of the members interested in getting involved with politics and as well as mobilize support for them when required ahead of 2023 general elections.
Farooq Kperogi never saw the memo as simple as it came. He has a cynic and different thoughts. It was most convenient for him to narrow the patriotic move of RCCG to just the personality of VP Osinbajo, being a pastor with the religious body. Senator Remi Tinubu, who is also a pastor in RCCG, and whose husband had since declared his interest in the race never crossed Kperogi’s mind. The target was Osinbajo. That kind of thinking is only for Kperogi for his small-minded pettiness.
The memo gave Kperogi a recipe to launch his attack on Osinbajo’s undeclared 2023 presidential ambition. His obsession with Nigeria’s No 2 man shows how uncomfortable he has become because of Osinbajo’s credentials which stand heads and shoulders over those who are in the 2023 race.
The coordination and the barrage at which most of Kperogi’s smear campaigns against the VP hit the media space lately ahead of the 2023 presidential race has raised some certain suspicion as to who is bankrolling this operation?
The Vice President is yet to formally announce his presidential bid, yet, he is already a person of interest for a big and coordinated political mudslinging and defamation from someone or an organized network of people who are obviously overwhelmed with his growing support base.
How belligerent will it get if he officially declares?
• Popoola is a political analyst, content analyser and news aggregator
