INTERNATIONALINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF JOURNAL CONTEMPORARY OF CONTEMPORARY Vol. 1:1, 2013 SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH www.iscprce.org/ ijcssr SOCIAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH VOL. 1:1, 2013 www.iscprce.org/ ijcssr RELIGION, POLITICS AND THE STATE IN NIGERIA, 1985- 1995 Dr. Etim E. Okon Senior Lecturer Department of Religious and Cultural Studies University of Calabar Calabar, Nigeria Email:
[email protected] Phone: +2348038025231 ABSTRACT This paper examines critically the religious dimension of political decisions and policies in the Babangida era. It is obvious that religion was manipulated in the Babangida era as a major influence and determinant of public policy. The negative impact of the manipulation of religion for political purposes is still lingering in the horizon. Religion was not only bastardized, but was reasonably politicized and contaminated. Babangida used religion to obtain legitimacy and consolidate his grip on political power. KEYWORDS: Religion, Islam, politics, Nigeria, Babangida INTRODUCTION Religion is an indispensable factor in nation building. Historically, Christianity and Islam have contributed immensely to the socio-political development of Nigeria. Both religions, at one time and another have acted as harbingers of civilization and “… the fountain of morality in our social evolution” (Kalu, 1980:317, 318). Though exotic, from the point of view of origin, Islam and Christianity have so permeated the Nigerian culture and society, that they have unconsciously assumed the status of an indigenous faith in some communities. That is true of Islam in northern Nigeria and Christianity in the south. Majority of Nigerian people see themselves either as Christians or Muslims. An insignificant proportion identifies themselves as votaries of traditional religions.