Political and religious figures must resist exploiting ethnic and sectarian divisions for cheap electoral gain, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) warned on Tuesday, cautioning that temporary campaign tactics inflict long-term damage on the country.
Speaking at the International Conference on Security and National Unity, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda urged politicians, clerics, and traditional leaders to reject incitement and foster reconciliation across all platforms, including social media.
Drawing on his personal experience as a former internally displaced person during the Bauchi crisis, Yilwatda stressed that conflict destroys indiscriminately: “When violence comes, it does not ask whether you are a Christian or a Muslim before it destroys either your home, or your humanity, or your dignity.”
He added that shared suffering and common aspirations bind Nigerians together, noting: “We may worship differently. Or we may suffer together. We dream together. We can build together. And ultimately, we can rise and fall together.”
The event, held in Nigeria as a joint initiative between Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) and the Muslim World League, focused on national stability and international peacebuilding.
While delivering a message on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to tackling internal security threats and maintaining national cohesion.
Tinubu urged citizens to protect national unity regardless of their background, stating: “We should talk and remain in this country, and allow this country to remain a united nation, a united country.”