IN his New Year address to Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari touched on a key point that has always been acknowledged by fair-minded observers: the model of religious tolerance offered by the South-West geopolitical zone. Speaking on the 2019 general election, he said: “As the electioneering season approaches, politicians must avoid exploiting ethnicity and religion by linking ethnicity with religion and religion with politics. In this respect, the rest of Nigeria could learn from the South Western States which have successfully internalised religion, ethnicity and politics. ”Explanations for the religious tolerance among the Yoruba people may differ, but what is sufficiently clear from the literature on that topic is that religion has never been allowed to overshadow the culture of the people. It is also the case that the people of the South-West celebrate Christmas with as much fervour as they celebrate Eid-el-Kabir, and the traditional festivals.

Source: Nigerian Tribune January 19, 2018 00:56 UTC