Nigeria's outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo
President of Open Doors USA Carl Moeller says the constitution is causing this major issue. "They've had a Christian President (Olusegun) Obasanjo for the last eight years. Under their constitutional limits he cannot run for president again. The democracy in Nigeria is historically fragile."
Moeller describes that instability. "The country is basically divided into a north and south--the north being primarily Muslim and the south being predominately so-called Christian. This is a place hot for religious conflict."
Moeller says while Nigeria's president is a Christian, the northern part of the country have their own laws. "Twelve states are governed by Islam Sharia law, and the Christians in those states, of course, have to follow Islamic law; it is very harsh in its treatment of Christians. Christians have died, and...churches have been burned in the thousands."
Last month a school teacher in the Islamic north was beaten to death when a student claimed she had desecrated the Koran when he was being disciplined.
Christians are fearful. Moeller says, "If there's a Muslim-elected president -- and the two leading candidates are both Muslim -- Christian rights in that country will continue to suffer. We know that Nigeria is the home to some of the largest and fastest growing churches in Africa. However, there's also a great deal of persecution going on in the northern states."
According to Moeller, Christians worldwide need to pray. "[Pray] that the outcome of this democracy will be first of all to protect the religious liberty rights of all people throughout Nigeria. [Pray] especially for those Christians in the north who face this very uncertain future."
While both candidates are Musilm, Umaru Yar'Adua is hand picked by Obasanjo. The other candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, is a self-proclaimed Islamic crusader.
