Jonathan is the solution, not the cause of Nigeria’s woes! (2)

AS noted by Matthew Kukah, “although there was no evidence of hostility visibly shown by the visit of the Archbishop to Kano, it was not accidental that the site where he laid the foundation stone for the building of the new Church became the scene of the violence that erupted in Kano six months after the visit. The violence was targeted at Christ Church in Fagge, Kano Metropolis”
The Buhari Regime Religious Crises (1983 -1985): The Buhari regime which overthrew the Shagari-led civilian administration did not do much to allay the fears of non-Muslims, especially given the peculiar nature of the composition of his government and their policies. All the members of his Supreme Military Council were Muslims – either Northern Muslims or Muslims from the South. This fact made Christians very uncomfortable. It is doubtful if his mindset against Christians has changed, for it is difficult for a leopard to change its skin.
The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Crisis (January 1986): During the Babangida regime, information filtered out to the public that Nigeria had sought admission into the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). This raised a lot of anxiety among Christians who now believed that the federal government was systematically engaged in the process of Islamizing the country.
In January 1990, Christians in four northern towns protested against the marginalization of Christians in the country. Protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as: “We reject OIC”, “Islamization of the country is totally rejected.” “We are ready to buy our rights with our bloods”. Christians were now determined either to fight for their rights or defend themselves whenever they were abused or attacked. Such preparedness was acted out in what came to be known as the Bauchi Riot.
Kano Riot (October 11, 1991): The Kano religious riot, 1991, was a case of an inter-religious conflict. A group of Muslim youths attacked people in Sabongari and the Fagge area of the metropolis. The attack was a protest against the religious crusade organized by the State Chapter of CAN with a German Christian preacher, Reinhard Bonke, in attendance.
Obasanjo Regime 1999-2004:  In January 2000, the Governor of Zamfara State Ahmed Yerima introduced the Sharia legal system in his state. Since then, several Northern States have followed suit. This has led to several riots and destruction of lives and property both in the North and in other parts of the country. OBJ the then president did nothing to stop this violation of the Constitution which forbade the making of any religion a state religion.
The Presidential Election 2011 – with Goodluck Jonathan on the Lead: As the early results of the presidential election showed that Goodluck Jonathan a Christian was leading, Islamists went on the rampage attacking Churches, Christians and Muslims who they perceived supported Jonathan.
In Kaduna State, tension grew when the Muslim Governor was elevated to the Vice-Presidency of the country after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010, and the then Christian Deputy Governor of Kaduna constitutionally became the Governor. Though the Muslim Governor was appointed as the Vice-President of Nigeria, Islamists didn’t want a Christian to become the Governor in Kaduna State. Against their wish he became the Governor and went ahead later to win a highly polarised election in 2011. Later he died in a helicopter crash to the open jubilation of Muslim youths who rejoiced that power has returned to a Muslim.
Since Jonathan, by divine intervention became President, the menace of Book Haram came to the fore targeting churches, shooting worshippers and carrying out suicide bombings. Several churches have been attacked, many Christians have been killed and hundreds injured. For example, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for a series of bomb blasts in Jos, Plateau State, which occurred on Christmas Eve of 2010, and claimed at least 80 lives. The Islamist group also carried out the 2011 Christmas Day bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church at Madalla, Niger State in central Nigeria in which 44 people were killed and many injured (two other churches were also attacked on the same day). A suicide bomb attack on COCIN Church Headquarters in Jos on February 26, 2012 left three dead and 38 injured.
Eleven people died in another suicide bomb attack targeting St. Finbarr’s Catholic Church in Jos on March 11, 2012. On April 29, 2012, Boko Haram militants stormed the campus church services at the Bayero University Kano (BUK) with bombs and guns, leaving nineteen students and one professor dead. Boko Haram also claimed responsibility for carrying out a suicide bomb attack on Harvest Field of Christ Church in Bauchi State on June 3,2012, where 21 people were killed and 45 others injured.
Muslim holiday
On June 17, 2012, Boko Haram carried out simultaneous attacks on three Churches in Kaduna State: two in Zaria and one in Kaduna metropolis, killing over 50 people and wounding 131 others. Around the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha holiday on October 28, 2012, a Boko Haram suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Malali, Kaduna metropolis, killing fifteen people and injuring many others. Again, the sect carried out twin bomb attacks on Church in Jaji military complex near Kaduna on November 25,2012, which claimed eleven lives and injured 30 others.
Christians in northern Nigeria have learned from previous years that Christmas is a time for extra vigilance. In spite of that, in 2012, Christmas was marked in a low key manner amid increased measures all over northern and central Nigeria. Nevertheless, Boko Haram managed to carry out attacks on Christmas Eve in Potiskum in Yobe State and in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital, in which twelve Christian worshippers were killed.