Tinubu: No Difference Is Worth Breaking Nigeria Apart

President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to protect the unity of the country despite their religious, ethnic and other differences, saying dialogue remains necessary for peaceful coexistence.

Tinubu made the call on Tuesday at an International Conference on Security and National Unity held in Abuja. He was represented at the event by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin.

The conference was organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah in partnership with the Muslim World League and brought together government officials, religious leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.

Tinubu said his administration remained committed to tackling insecurity and promoting peace within Nigeria and beyond through cooperation with other countries.

The President said Nigerians must continue to communicate with one another and find ways to manage their differences rather than allow them to threaten the unity of the country.

He also described the conference as timely, given the security problems affecting several parts of the world. He expressed hope that discussions at the meeting would contribute to efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace in Nigeria, Africa and other parts of the world.

Tinubu also welcomed the decision of the Muslim World League to partner with JIBWIS and host the conference in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, warned politicians against using religion and ethnicity to gain political support.

Yilwatda said Nigeria’s religious and ethnic diversity should bring citizens together rather than create divisions. He 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 urged political leaders to avoid statements and actions that could deepen religious or ethnic tensions for short-term political gains.

Yilwatda also appealed to religious leaders to make their places of worship centres for peace, reconciliation and responsible citizenship. He urged them to avoid messages that could encourage hatred or violence.

The APC chairman called on political and religious leaders, traditional rulers and ordinary citizens to reject hate speech, regardless of where it comes from.

He said Nigerians should protect one another because they share the same country and humanity, even when they belong to different religious or ethnic groups.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, Prof Cornelius Omonokhua, also urged Nigerians not to allow religion, ethnicity or poverty to be used to create divisions.

Omonokhua said Christians and Muslims should promote compassion, respect and the protection of human life, noting that both major religions teach the importance of preserving life.

The Sultan of Sokoto and Co-Chairman of NIREC, Sa’ad Abubakar III, called for better implementation of agreements reached during conferences and meetings.

The Sultan said Nigeria already had many ideas for addressing its challenges but needed stronger action to put agreed solutions into practice. He also appealed to Christians and Muslims to stop insulting one another.

The conference was attended by the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Issa, alongside ministers, governors, religious leaders, traditional rulers and other dignitaries.

A major outcome of the gathering was the signing of the Abuja Declaration, which seeks to strengthen cooperation between Muslim and Christian leaders and establish a peace-building framework to help Nigeria and West Africa prevent religious tensions from turning into violence.