While I read the conclusions about Nigeria’s problems from Nigeria’s most celebrated mind – Noble Laureate and Professor Emeritus Wole Soyinka in a recent event where he said, “Religion has become the number one problem for Nigerians.”, I felt a little introspection might modify this conclusion. As much as I agree that religion is one of our major problems, I believe Nigeria also has other major problems that contest and might even win religion in the contest for what is Nigeria’s greatest problem. Unfortunately, Professor Wole Soyinka might be guilty of the second contestant of what has derailed our progress as a nation – ethnic bias. The third and probably the one that can be the undisputed champion in the contest is corruption, which is arguably the factor that brought religion and ethnicity into the contest in the first place.

Nigeria’s worst leader yet – Mohammadu Buhari, was endorsed by our Noble Laureate and facilitated by the electoral infrastructure created by Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the major contribution of Chief Bisi Akande who recently revealed in his new book that they were warned that Buhari will be a disaster. The support that Buhari got during the 2015 electioneering campaign, tacitly or otherwise had an ethnic coloration because the Yorubas felt marginalized and insulted by the appointments and general conduct of President Goodluck Jonathan. This mindset led the Yoruba intelligentsia to dine with the devil and brought all that is presently befalling Nigeria. As unfree and unfair as elections can be in Nigeria, it is still difficult to win a presidential election without the support of two of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. And the Yorubas through Chief Bisi Akande and others did the trick.

Chief Bisi Akande’s book has seen many reviews, the one that caught my attention is Festus Adebayo’s. He wrote “All in all, it is evident that Akande’s My Participations is another of the Tinubu group’s plan to deodorize him in preparation for to the 2023 elections, stomping on sacred facts with scant regard in the process. If Akande wanted to lick Tinubu’s spittle as he has always done, he should have done it with more respect for the people of Nigeria. Calling the Buhari butcherbird years a blessing to Nigeria and whitewashing Tinubu this mendaciously are terrible affronts on the people.” It has been said a people get the leadership they deserve. I believe we are suffering the consequences of our cumulative individual corruption. And because everything rises and falls based on the actions and inactions of leaders, our leaders are to blame for the present predicament we find ourselves in. Nevertheless, we are all leaders in our individual rights, hence, individually culpable.

Scan the social media post, shares, and likes of the so-called respected leaders, activists, clergymen, and social media influencers within your network and you will see the hopelessness of our situation. You will find the Yorubas lining up behind Tinubu like Chief Bisi Akande, knowing fully well he cannot fight corruption, just like the Hausas and Fulanis lined up behind Buhari knowing about his gross incompetence. Religion is not the problem of man; man is the problem of religion. Germany, Italy, and the United States are nations that have contributed greatly to what we enjoy in science, technology, good governance, and the arts, yet they are very religious nations. Until we end the politics where national zeros are ethnic heroes, it will be impossible for us to see a peaceful, progressive, and prosperous Nigeria.

Ata Ukuta, Editor – Towncryyers