By Farooq Kperogi
When Obasanjo favoured northern Christians in appointments during his administration, he defended his action by insisting that he was guided by considerations of competence, not religion or region.
Some of the same people who’re defending the prospect of a Muslim-Muslim ticket in APC using “competence” as a defense (as if competence is delimited by religion or region) told Obasanjo that sensitivity to intra-regional diversity trumped “competence.” Hypocrisy seems to be grafted into our DNA.
A Yoruba Muslim presidential candidate with a northern Christian running mate–or a Northern Christian presidential candidate with a southern Muslim running mate–would be transformational, even revolutionary. It would be Nigeria’s Barack Obama moment.
To make progress, we should transcend our familiar, settled, frozen cultural fissures. Everyone should be able to feel that they can be anything they want to be, that the accidental circumstances of their birth won’t perpetually stymie their dreams and aspirations.
