TODAY'S LEADER FORUM 17TH ONLINE PRESENTATION AND DIALOGUE OF MOMENT LIKE THIS, SITUATION LIKE THIS, IN A COUNTRY LIKE THIS ON "POLITICS AND RELIGION ; HIDDEN FACTS"- Comr. AbdulAzeez AbdulMaleek

God be glorified. For our life, sustainability, peace and freewill to be in our preferred state. He shall be forever glorified.
Good evening respected leaders of today, great intellectuals and as a matter of mandatory extension, ladies and gentlemen.

I am AbdulAzeez AbdulMaleek, and it is always a great honor to be available again to present on this platform, this beautiful platform.

The convener, The Africa Talking Drum, "ATD sir".as I love to always call him is a very respected and highly revered person. His passion for correctness, sanity and bountiful today borne out this great platform. When he put a call through to me shortly some minutes past 5pm today to remind me of this presentation, we even had robust talks beyond the scope of TLF. He has always been special in his dealings. I will advise that we emulate his right directions in good positioning in our ways of life too.  Kudos sir.

I have been invited to present and discuss before you honorable intellectuals the topic "POLITICS AND RELIGION:.THE HIDDEN FACTS". And I feel so honored for the invitation.

It is good and interesting that this topic is rightly gotten in concept. We are intelligent and right thinking individuals and of course we have ideas to what politics and religion stand to mean and represent.

Politics could be meant as "the study of government of states and other political units or the activities and affairs involved in managing a state or a government."

Webster Collegiate Dictionary opined that "religion in its most comprehensive sense, includes a belief in the being and perfections of God, in the revelation of his will to man, in man's obligation to obey his commands, in a state of reward and punishment, and in man's accountableness to God; and also true godliness or [piety] of life, with the practice of all moral duties. It therefore comprehends theology, as a system of doctrines or principles, as well as practical piety; for the practice of moral duties without a belief in a divine [lawgiver], and without reference to his will or commands, is not religion."

These definitions about politics and religion are right and meets a general acceptance to some extent.

As it stand sirs and mas, is there truly hidden facts in the two points if discussion? Probably yes or no.

Permit me to conceptualise this topic of discussion in Nigeria perspective.

Our country is intensely equipped and full of political conscious beings and religious people. Very correct. I will not need anyone to contest that, but I will still love to exemplify.

An average Nigerian holds firmly or lightly a Faith. Be it in Christianity or Islam or in variations of those traditional beliefs.

We understand when I mean a Nigerian hold firmly his Faith. Yes. Not necessarily a fanatics of the religion but tries to justify the basic necessities as provided by the scripture of the religion or the regulations that guide it's conduct. Equally guide and defend her religion in his limited capacity.

A Nigerian that hold his Faith 'lightly' is without doubt a registered believer of a particular religion. Such individual may only act less to be identified as a member of the religion or watch while his religion got exposed to "humiliation".

Such person might be erring or have some general thought about life but deep inside, he knows I am a Muslim or Christian or what have you.

I try to briefly address this because of the nature of the country.

So trying to affiliate this concepts to the political views and natures of our dear country; it might appear less less strenuous.

Nigeria politics has been characterised with lots. I would not want to dwell us in the past modes of how politics is been played in the country. We all understand that religion is a less criteria and less significant considerable factor to fight political stands and fortune. Very well.

But in these days politics, we can not wipe away the activities and importance and influence of religion in politics.

Let me state categorically distinguish listeners and readers that, WE CAN NOT TAKE AWAY THE INFLUENCES OF RELIGION IN NIGERIA POLITICS. We can never. I see it tested impossible.

The 'powerful' deciders of our country's political fortune have successfully succeeded in planting the remnants of religion as a basic and sacrosanct considerable factor before making further political calculation and whatever permutation they plan to.

Mind you, it is very sad and not fine for our thriving as a comity of nation.

Not only religion, tribe and population of the country's geopolitical zones are also into consideration while making such calculation.

Very important too that I let us know that the effect of this religion infiltration has gone beyond the scope of its establishment in politics.

Yes. Politicians do consider a Muslim-Muslim ticket or Christian-Christian ticket as an unfavorable market and of course a political pitfall while going into election. Very correct. Except in Northern Nigeria while Muslims are dominants and in Eastern while Christians are most populous. Permit me I do not have that statistics but its confirmable to reasonable extent as you agree with me.

Except in South West Nigeria where we have a 'balance mixture' of the two Faiths(Islam and Christianity). Traditionalist should please forgive me, they have made us to believe and design it that those are the two existing religions. Nigerians of course acknowledge the existence of traditionalists.

And basically in the national politics, these two Faiths are always put into consideration.

It is considered fine and good since it is in the aim to establish fairness and justice in the political game play.

It is beautiful that we have President Buhari as a Muslim and a Christian, a pastor, Prof Yemi Osinbajo as his deputy and the two work in tandem without fracas. It will be fine that their good working relationship is not in the love of their political party but for the goods of we Nigerians. That's the beauty of the religion and in politics.

Religion impact in politics is best respected and favourable when individuals of different Faiths could have fair minds and love in dealings and in relationships.

But it is very disheartening and sad that religion has badly eaten the brain and intelligent quotient of Nigerians.

We have been hammered in brain to see a fellow Nigerian of other Faith as a foe and partners one can not work and have deep relationship with beyond Hello-Hi.

Do you know that I bearing the name AbdulAzeez, AbdulMaleek, and been a Muslim is a matter of 'privilege and coincidence'? I might have been a Christian if my parents have been a Christians too. Do you believe? Please do!

A David or John or Matthew or Juliet or Mary might have been a Muslim too if his/her parents are Muslims. Yes!

Majority of us are believers of those Faiths by birth. Very few get reverted and choose another Faith on the basis of what they love to believe.

In respect, religion should not be an hindrance to our advancement and progress.

Why should it be madly and unfairly capitalised when I might have per other chance be a believer of opposite Faith?

Religion should have not been a medium of establishing hatred and causing unrest in the country. It should not have be.

We have been mandated and indoctrinated to be "too religious" which is causing great havoc to our progress as a country.

This equally affect the political fortune and its arena of the country.

Very bad that political leaders hide under the guise of religion and instruct their believers not to cast vote for persons of opposite Faith. Very bad.

It is bad too that some sets of people massacre fellow countrymen under the guise of clashes of interest or disparity in religious beliefs. Very bad. It is very bad.

Religion has been used as a tool to hinder the progress of this country.

Let us not join in such bedevilling advocacy. Let us position uprightness and correctness and sanity. Please. Let us do.

Let us deprive the greedy and self-centered religious leaders the freewill to direct our thinking as they wish.

Let us ponder and reason correctly on our own and find out that majority of those evidences and guises they played under are incorrect and irrational. They are not good for us in any way.

Let us all understand as a Nigerian that someone can not claim to be a Muslim and kill fellow Muslim and Christian because he want to make him be a Muslim forcefully. The religion does not give chance to compel people..

Let us all understand that a Christian can not truly be Christian and be made to see a Muslim as foe.

Let us deprive them the ability to subdue us to undue rough mentality and act under the duress of protecting religion from extinction.

Let me state that political leaders have influenced the status of this country in this form and they have actually designed it to favour their respective Faiths.

Boko Haram can not truly be a 'Jihadist' body and it kill both Muslim and Christian.

They are politically motivated to threaten our peace as a unified country and cause unrest to make us disintegrate.

There are influences of 'World Powers' because our population is a threat to their continued thriving.

Religion should not be a barrier towards we having proper representation and ideal governance. It should not.

Religious bodies should stop preaching hate to advance their individual fortune and pockets. They should sincerely fear God.

A Nigerian should vote for fellow Nigerian of choice after conforming with the inclusion of his manifesto and believes will satisfy his expectations.

Let there the justice and fairness. Let there be equity. Let there be love. Let there be unity.

All these can only come into fruition when we share that similar believe and realise that we are all Nigerians and the bond that bind us together as Nigerians is the strongest.

Let us shame those political and religious leaders and convince the world that we are upright beings.

In advance and developed countries of the world, religion plays less or no significant factor in deciding the prosperity of their country. What matters is been a countryman and been sincere to governance.

We can emulate them. Yes we can.

We can do than them. Nigeria have the intellectual capacity, manpower and resources to rule the world.

Let us show them the stuff we are made of and be a perfect example of good conduct and progress where religion play little or no factor.

Leaders of today and ladies and gentlemen, permit me to postulate that "the strength, power, progress and fortune of this country is in our collective will, void of sentiment of religion or tribe".

We can be better of what we used to be and allow religion be practised on the basics of its guiding and establishment.

We should freely allow politics to be played according to the rules and no body, person or group of persons be aggrieved. They should see their failures in the play of politics as a result of their failed assignment and disallow religion to interfere to cause unwarranted unrest and crisis in the country.

I submit that the hidden facts in religion and politics is the unfairness, lack of love, greediness and unpatriotic minds of its players.

We can correct it by individuals establishing the spirit of love, unity, genuine seriousness and goodwill for the country.

Thank you all for your attention. I appreciate. Thank you.

I hope to address your expectations or doubts in regards this topic in the question and answer segment. Thank you for your attention once again.
Comr. AbdulAzeez AbdulMaleek

POLITICS AND RELIGION ; HIDDEN FACTS