NIGERIA
By Falmata Bassi
Just as it was celebrated elsewhere around the world on Tuesday, Christmas was celebrated in Nigeria. But first, Nigerians received a surprise from their leaders. President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice Yemi Osinbajo alongside the leader of the ruling party Adams Oshiomhole emerged in a video singing a Christmas song to wish Nigerians a merry Christmas.
Now you would think this was not such a big deal, but it is. Buhari, a Muslim is contesting for re-election in elections scheduled for February 2019. Critics were quick to read ulterior motives to his rendition of the “we wish you a merry Christmas song” in the video, with many suggesting Mr. Buhari was attempting a desperate move to salvage his plummeting popularity especially amongst people in the majorly Christian south of Nigeria.
Mr Buhari is constantly been faced with the need to show he is not religiously intolerant or fanatical as portrayed in some quarters and allegedly in his ethno-religiously imbalanced cabinet and political appointments.
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