For the avoidance of any form of doubt, Nigeria as at now is an Islamic dominant Country.
According to the National Population Commission of Nigeria, the 2023 Population and Housing Census of Nigeria will be conducted from 29th March to 2nd April 2023 via a Digital Census. This will help us to fully appreciate the demographics of the Nigerian Population.
However, currently there are 53.5% Muslims and 45.9% Christians in Nigeria. Christians have been outnumbered and overshadowed politically by Muslims in Nigeria. As it stands now, it will be extremely difficult for a Christian to win Presidential election in Nigeria if proper growth strategies are not put in place by the Christian Community in Nigeria.
The dominance of Muslims in Nigeria has fundamentally disrupted the traditional convention of power-sharing and alternating system in Nigeria between Muslim-Christian Ticket and Christian-Muslim Ticket adopted and implemented since 1999.
The 2023 Presidential election of Nigeria has truly created an embarrassing moment for the Christian community in Nigeria. Peter Obi, the prominent Christian in the race failed to live up to the expectations of the Nigerian Youth and largely the Christian Community. Peter Obi came third even though he won almost the States where Christians are in majority including the Lagos State, the most populous State in Nigeria where fortunately for him also has the headquarters of almost all the Mega Churches in Nigeria. Peter Obi was able to win the Lagos State over Tinubu largely because of the Christian Votes who constituted the majority.
Muslims actually won the 2023 Presidential election in Nigeria due to the following facts:
1. The two leading contenders, Tinubu (1st) and Atiku(2nd) are Muslims. Rabiu Kwankwaso who placed 4th is also a Muslim.
2. The only Christian who came 3rd in the race is Peter Obi.
3. The total percentage of Tinubu(36.61%), Atiku(29.04%) and Rabiu Kwankwaso(6.22%) is 71.87%. Wow. This 2023 Presidential election of Nigeria has been Religious dominance and clearly confirmed the Muslims dominance in Nigeria.
4. Peter Obi’s 25.36% is far below the combined votes of the 71.87% garnered by the 3 prominent Muslims such as Tinubu, Atiku and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
4. The other 14 Presidential candidates who collectively had 2.77% also have a quite number of Muslim Presidential candidates even taking larger part of the 2.77% votes.
It is increasingly becoming clearly that no one can rule out the influence of religion in Politics in the world. It is extremely difficult for a Christian to lead a Muslim dominant Country as a President and equally difficult for a Muslim to lead a Christian dominant Country as a President. This phenomenon cut across from USA, Canada, Europe and Africa. Politics of Religion is even worst in the Arab Countries and Asian Countries. UK prefers Christian, Hindu, Buddhist or Atheist to any other faith as far as who becomes a Prime Minister is concerned. USA is no go area for certain Religions.
The relationship between Religion and Voters Choice is undermining multi-party democracy across the world, and this is increasingly becoming entrenched across various Countries in the world.