Dele Farotimi, a human rights activist and lawyer, criticized the handling of Nigeria’s political transition, asserting that in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country, President Muhammadu Buhari supervised the handing over of power along a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Farotimi elaborated on this position in a recent interview with broadcaster Edmund Obilo, discussing the implications of such decisions on national unity and representation.
He challenged the widespread perception that General Yakubu Gowon’s rise to the position of Military Head of State was purely based on seniority within the armed forces.
Farotimi instead framed Gowon’s emergence as a strategic move shaped by religious dynamics and the composition of the Nigerian Army at the time, suggesting that these factors played a decisive role in leadership selection.
He highlighted the fragile state of the military following the violent upheavals of July 1966, describing it as being on the brink of collapse and deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines.
According to Farotimi, the majority of officers implicated in the July 1966 coup originated from the Middle Belt region and were predominantly Christian, aligning them with Gowon’s faith.
He argued that this demographic reality influenced the decision-making process, as selecting a Northern Muslim officer such as Murtala Mohammed could have sparked immediate unrest and internal rebellion within the army.
Farotimi emphasized that the military leadership had to navigate these complex social and religious factors carefully to maintain cohesion and prevent further destabilization in the aftermath of the coup.
He noted that these considerations reflected a broader pattern in Nigerian politics, where decisions at the top often intersected with religious and regional calculations, impacting both governance and perceptions of legitimacy.
Farotimi stated: “In a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country, he sat down and superintendent the handing over of the country to a Muslim Muslim ticket…. Discover More
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