How Jonathan, Nigeria’s ‘Christian’ President, Islamised Nigeria

Major political parties and their candidates have been criss-crossing the length and breadth of Nigeria seeking the electorates' votes against the March 28 Presidential election. The two leading parties, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC, have been digging deep into each other's reputation in an effort to smear it, probably win swathe of sympathy. President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muammadu Buhari remain the two leading presidential candidates with pollsters projecting a win for either though most exit polls done by both Nigerian and foreign organisations favoured Buhari. In the face of all such predictions, and frightened by a likelihood of defeat, PDP went into the realm of the absurd to see whether it could dig up any guttersnipe against Buhari. At the end of a fruitless effort, the party, which once controlled over 80% of Nigeria's 36 states, went below the belt to hit Buhari. PDP mocked the APC Presidential candidate over the death of his daughter and published a stinker of a death wish. They cajoled and ridiculed his gallant years of military and public service. PDP, in their attack on Buhari, exposed how Nigerians can mock their best and brightest; how men and women who have committed the greater portion of their life to their service. PDP went searching for any killer-punch.

PDP soon raised a false doctrine with which it quickly infested several people, especially in the Christian South and Middle Belt – Buhari is an Islamic fundamentalist, an irritant fanatic and bigot who would on May 30, a day after he would have assumed office, declare Nigeria an Islamic Republic. Churches will cease to function as much as Christians will be persecuted, crucified and hounded into prisons. PDP told their audience that Buhari was a senior operative in several Islamic terrorist organisations including Nigeria's nightmare, Boko Haram, and the world's new horror, Islamic State, otherwise named ISIL. Fear soon swept through Christendom and particularly, Nigerian Christians. Maybe, the Anti-Christ had been hiding in Buhari and was to be revealed!

But the sane and diligent seeker had asked, “Between Jonathan and Buhari, who has Islamised Nigeria?” An attempt follows.

Gen. Buhari was Nigeria's Head of State from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985, a period of 1 year 8 months. A native of Daura in Katsina State, Buhari is of the Fulani ethnic background, and his faith is Sunni Islam. According to en.wikipedia.org, Sunni Islam (/ˈsuːni/ or /ˈsʊni/) is the largest branch of Islam as its adherents are referred to in Arabic as ahl as-sunnah wa l-jamāʻah(Arabic: أهل السنة والجماعة‎), "people of the tradition of Muhammad and the consensus of the Ummah" or ahl as-sunnah (أهل السنة) for short. In English, its theological study or doctrine is called Sunnism, while adherents are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis, and Sunnites. Sunni Islam is the world's second largest religious body (after Christianity) and the largest religious denomination for any religion in the world. Buhari, born on 17 December 1942, had unsuccessfully for the office of President in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 elections.

President Jonathan, born on 20 November 1957 in Otuoke, in present-day Bayelsa State to a family of canoe-builders, has been Nigeria's President since 2010. While he claims Christianity to be his religion, his denomination remains controversial as he has been linked with the Olumba Olumba Obu sect which to Nigerian Christians is more of a cult than Christianity. To many Christians in the country, OOO, for short, ranks the same as any other occult group, secret society or order. Jonathan is going into the March 28 Presidential election with such a tag hanging on his neck.

President Jonathan is a Christian from Nigeria's Niger Delta region and his supporters have canvassed his re-election since he is a Christian. This discourse is not meant to discuss who is a Christian but for reference sake, may it be noted that the Bible, the greatest and best Book ever in the hands of man, and the Christian's Compass, has not left us in doubt who is. A Christian is Christ-like; one who had confessed his sins and had obtained pardon, his name written in the Book of Life. Period!

In the face of such religious sentiments raised against Buhari, this discourse seeks to raise the question, “How Christian is this Christian President? How come he Islamised Nigeria, being the first Nigerian President and Head of State to attend a meeting of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, OIC? It was Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida who secretly in 1986 enrolled Nigeria into the body but it took a Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, then, Chief of General Staff, to inform shocked Nigerians. Nigeria's entry status then was as Observer. Yet, Babangida was not known to have attended any OIC meeting. Jonathan upgraded the country's status to enable secure loans.

From 1970 until 2013 when Jonathan led a Nigerian delegation to Cairo, Egypt, to attend an OIC Summit, neither Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Muritala Mohammed, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Sani Abacha, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, President Olusegun Obasanjo nor President Umar Yar'Adua was present at the organisation's summits. Only Jonathan did. Buhari respected Nigeria's secular status and declined overtures to drag Nigeria into the body. But Jonathan preferred OIC to Nigeria's Constitution.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) (formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference) is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world(emphasis author's). It runs the Islamic Bank for Development of which Nigeria has the 4th highest share capital after Saudi Arabia, Libya and Iran.

Borrowing from Islamic Development Bank, IDB

President Jonathan is the only Nigerian ruler to have sourced for loan from the Islamic Development Bank, IDB. Nigeria's Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, serves on the IDB Boards of Governors. Nigeria's Alternate Governor on the Bank's Board is H.E Anastasia Mabi Daniel-Nwaobia, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance.

See some records of Jonathan's transactions with IDB

Jonathan's Administration has secured loans from IDB

“Reports have emerged that, in a bid to ameliorate the debilitating effect the oil price drop has had on the nation's economy, the government is seeking to obtain external loans worth $5.7bn (N2.97tn) from its development partners to finance infrastructure projects contained in the 2015 budget.

“The development partners, from whom the loan will be sourced are the World Bank, African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and China Export-Import Bank.

“The plan was corroborated by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in a 28-page document entitled, 'The overview of the 2015 budget proposal', which stated that the debt service to revenue ratio will increase from 19 per cent in 2014 to 22 per cent in the 2015 budget.
Source: bizwatchnigeria.ng

FG to Seek $150m Islamic Devt Bank Loan for TCN
“The federal government's funding source for expansion and upgrade of Nigeria's weak electricity transmission network has continued to enlarge with its plan to take in a $150 million loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

THISDAY, 03 Sep 2013
NIGERIA - Nigeria is exploring with the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector the idea of issuing sovereign sukuk, the ICD's head told Reuters in mid-March.

Source: en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com
Those who have campaigned for Jonathan's re-election merely on the sentiments of religion must help provide answer to some questions.

If President Jonathan was that Christian leader as they would want that illiterate Southerner to believe, why did he sit, wine and dine with 'unbelievers' at the 2013 OIC meeting in Egypt?

If Jonathan was that Christian President they would want Nigerian Christians vote for, why did he seek loans from a bank that should be run by 'unbelievers', or, has the Bible not enjoined that Christians be not yoked together with unbelievers?

Mere sentiments are not enough to win elections. Let Nigerians be presented those sacred facts so they can make informed decisions. Sentiments are not enough!