Atiku Vs. Buhari 2019: Did religion play a part?

Sir: Of all the major religions in the world, Islam is the only one without a “holy man” substructure and this should bother all of us. First, what we observe in the absence of this “holy man” or monastery system is that every practicing Muslim dons the toga of “holiness” at the smallest opportunity that presents itself to exploit other people; it is this massive and unbridled religiosity, not done in good faith, that breeds religious intolerance amongst the Muslims, whether to themselves or to people of other religions. The “holy man” substructure of a religion is the platform of extreme deprivation of material things and sexual pleasures in order to concentrate on the essence of that religion; any religion that lacks this substructure finds itself in quite disagreeable positions most times because the man who has just come out of a fit of sexual pleasure is the one who is now billed to lead congregation prayers and do the sermons.

Thus, if some fellow presents himself as a pseudo-ascetic hermit who champions “anti-corruption” and has been briefly locked up in his religion’s “holy of holies” at the spiritual headquarters of his religion in order that he should do a “chore of humility” then that fellow will be revered so much, almost on the par of unquestioned adulation; really, he becomes the “saint” that his admirers have heard so much about from other people’s religions but sorely desire to have their own.

That sort of fellow does no wrong and anyone who goes against him in opinions is coloured black, real black. In a democracy, because he is a saint-figure of his religions, he cannot lose to the opposition and he sure cannot lose at a court of arbitration set up by his henchmen and followers to hear the challenge his “divine mandate.” If the one opposing this “holy man’s” election “victory” is not fortunate he will be term an “apostate” even he professes the same faith as this “holy man.” Thus, how can the courts conceivable hope to sack Muhammadu Buhari?
Sunday Adole Jonah, wrote from Department of Physics, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State