The fate of Christianity in the face of increasing Islamic influence in Nigeria. - Chikeluba

Nigeria as a multi-religious country courts peace and tranquility in its social and political space, especially as positions of influence and power are equitably occupied by citizens across religious lines.
Of the different religious groups in Nigeria, Christianity and Islam stand out as the predominant ones with significant number of citizens as adherents.
It is always an unwritten rule that in our political space, allowances are made to balance the two prominent religious groups we have, despite the secular government we operate.
This religious balancing is mostly seen at the national level, as States are usually mostly predominated by either of the two religions.
Since 1999, with the commencement of the 4th republic, there has always been conformity with the unwritten religious balancing rule at the center. The then President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Christian had Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a moslem as Vice President, with other prominent positions as well equitably assigned or occupied by adherents of both Christianity and Islam.
This trend continued with the succeeding administration led by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, were the Vice President at the time was a Christian, in the person of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who later succeeded Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, and went ahead to become the President in 2011. His Vice President Alhaji Namadi Sambo, was a Muslim, thus keeping the religious balancing.
The emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, also saw the maintenance of that balance. However the Buhari administration apparently set the foundation for fanatical Muslims to stoke the fire of Islamic dominance in Nigeria. With incessant attacks by Boko Haram in the North, and activities of the marauding Fulani herdsmen in some places in the South and middle belt going unhinged and unchecked by government, some liberal Muslims may have begun to shift ideology towards accepting that the Islamic religion seems to have gained superiority in the national affairs of Nigeria.
The Buhari's administration, now gearing to handover power to the President-elect, Alhaji Bola Tinubu, who brazenly jettisoned the religious balancing rule that had hitherto held sway at the national executive level.
The expected swearing in of the Tinubu government, will begin a phase in Nigeria's recent history where the President and the Vice President will be both Muslims, and also the possibility that Muslims will equally occupy very sensitive positions in the incoming government.
The question now beckons, what is the fate of Christianity at this time in Nigeria?

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