President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to reject division and preserve the unity of the country, saying no difference among citizens should be allowed to undermine Nigeria’s existence as a united nation. The President, represented by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, made the call on Tuesday at an International Conference on Security and National Unity […]
President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to reject division and preserve the unity of the country, saying no difference among citizens should be allowed to undermine Nigeria’s existence as a united nation.
The President, represented by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, made the call on Tuesday at an International Conference on Security and National Unity organised by JIBWIS in collaboration with the Muslim World League.
Tinubu said the government was determined to tackle Nigeria’s security challenges while promoting peace through collaboration with other countries. He urged Nigerians to continue engaging one another through dialogue whenever differences arise, stressing that the country must remain united regardless of its religious, ethnic or other diversities.
According to the President, the conference was particularly important because of the security challenges facing Nigeria and other parts of the world. He said the discussions could contribute to efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace at the regional, continental and global levels, while commending the Muslim World League for partnering with JIBWIS and selecting Nigeria as the first host country.
The APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, used the occasion to caution political leaders against turning religion and ethnicity into instruments for gaining political advantage. He said Nigeria’s diversity should unite citizens rather than divide them, warning that actions taken for temporary political benefits could leave permanent scars on the country.
Yilwatda recalled his experience as a displaced person during the Bauchi crisis, saying violence affected people without regard to whether they were Christians or Muslims. He said the experience taught him that Nigerians could practise different religions while still sharing the same fears, hopes and aspirations, adding that citizens ultimately rise or fall together.
He therefore called on politicians to abandon attempts to exploit religious and ethnic sentiments, while urging religious leaders to use their influence to promote peace, reconciliation and responsible citizenship. He also appealed to traditional rulers to strengthen dialogue and reconciliation and ensure that retaliation does not become the response to conflict.
The APC chairman further condemned hate speech from political, religious, traditional and social media platforms, urging Nigerians to reject any attempt to justify violence through religion. He said citizens must protect vulnerable communities and build a country where people care for one another because of their shared humanity rather than their religious or ethnic identities.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, Prof Cornelius Omonokhua, similarly warned against weaponising religion, ethnicity or poverty to create divisions. He said Nigerians were first human beings before becoming Christians or Muslims and stressed that both major religions uphold the sanctity of human life.
The Sultan of Sokoto and Co-Chairman of NIREC, Sa’ad Abubakar III, also stressed the need for action, saying Nigeria did not lack solutions to its problems but often failed at implementation. He called on Christians and Muslims to stop insulting one another and embrace peaceful coexistence.
The conference also featured the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Issa, who witnessed the signing of the Abuja Declaration, a proposed framework for cooperation between Muslim and Christian leaders to strengthen peacebuilding and help prevent religious tensions from escalating into violence in Nigeria and West Africa. Government officials, governors, religious leaders, traditional rulers and other dignitaries attended the event.