In the build up to every election that President Muhammadu Buhari has participated as a candidate, he has always been tagged an Islamic fundamentalist. He was rumoured to be nursing the ambition of Islamizing the whole country when he becomes the president. Ironically, those who are fond of embarrassing him with these insinuations have no time to listen to any of his explanations. Tagging him as a fundamentalist, a dictator and a ruthless soldier who have no education nor understanding of democracy have been dirty blows to his political ambitions until the last election when every form of propaganda and lies to deny him of victory were shredded into pieces and the electorates decided to elect him in a historical election that saw the first Nigerian sitting president defeated.
President Muhammadu Buhari has worked with people of different faiths, ethnicity and regions in his military career and other appointments after his retirement. He mention these from time to time to disabuse the minds of the people from seeing him as a regional or religious champion. However, there is nothing that demonstrates his tolerance and respect to people of other faiths than the trend he shows in his appointments and selection of aides. In another style that is becoming characteristic of him, he surprised all expectations by selecting individuals who are not politically exposed as the first set of his cabinet members. Meanwhile, a careful study of his preference revealed that the president loves to work with pastors.
Already appointed to work with the president are the following individuals who are pastors of different churches in addition to their various professions;
Professor Yemi Osibajo – Vice President and a Pastor
Mr, Tunde Fowler – Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) and a Pastor
Engineer Babachir David Lawal – Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF) and a Pastor
Major General Gabriel Olonisakin – Chief of Defence Staff and a Pastor
Mr. Femi Adesina – Special Assistance of Media and Publicity, and a Pastor
Pastor Tunde Bakare – A former Vice Presidential candidate and a close confidant
Are these mere coincidence or just that the president loves to work with pastors?
One thing is very clear though, these appointments are not only disappointments to those who had gone to town to paint the president as a religious bigot, the appointments has demonstrated that he is a man who is ready to work with people of different faiths. How many more pastors should we expect from the yet to be appointed cabinet members? Only Mr. President can answer that!
Culled from Tunde Alabi Blog
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