President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to preserve the unity of the country despite their differences, saying dialogue remains essential to sustaining Nigeria as a united nation.

Tinubu, represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, stated this on Tuesday at the International Conference on Security and National Unity, organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah in collaboration with the Muslim World League.

The President said the government was committed to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges and promoting peace globally through collaboration with other nations.

He said, “Not only that, the government is determined to make sure that we remain united as a country, despite our differences, whatever the differences may be. We should talk and remain in this country, and allow this country to remain a united nation, a united country.”

Tinubu said the conference was timely given the multiple security challenges confronting the world, adding that its deliberations would contribute to efforts to achieve sustainable regional, continental and global peace.

He also commended the Muslim World League for partnering JIBWIS and choosing Nigeria as the first country to host the conference.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, in his remarks, warned political leaders against exploiting religion and ethnicity for political advantage, saying such actions could deepen divisions and leave lasting damage on the country.

The APC chairman said Nigeria’s diversity should be a source of strength rather than division, stressing that religious and ethnic differences should not undermine the shared humanity and common destiny of Nigerians.

Reflecting on his experience as a displaced person during the Bauchi crisis, Yilwatda said violence did not discriminate between Christians and Muslims as everyone suffered.

“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 said.

He said his experience of living in an internally displaced persons’ camp had taught him that Nigerians could worship differently but still share the same fears, aspirations and destiny.

“We may worship differently. Or we may suffer together. We dream together. We can build together. And ultimately, we can rise and fall together,” Yilwatda said.

The APC chairman urged politicians to resist the temptation to weaponise religion and ethnicity, warning that temporary political gains could result in permanent damage to the nation.

“To our political leaders, let us resist the temptation to exploit religion or ethnicity for sentiments, and sentiments for temporary political advantage.

“No political victory is worth the permanent damage inflicted on our nation, and we’ve been seeing it every day,” he said.

Yilwatda also urged religious leaders to use their influence to promote peace and reconciliation, rather than hatred and division.

“You as religious leaders, let our mosques and our churches become centres of peace, of reconciliation, and responsible citizenship,” he said.

He called on religious leaders to “preach faith without hatred, conviction without contempt, and truth without incitement,” while urging traditional rulers to make dialogue and reconciliation stronger than retaliation.

Yilwatda further called for a collective commitment by religious leaders, political leaders, traditional institutions and citizens to reject hate speech and protect vulnerable communities.

“We will not use religion to justify violence, and we will reject hate speeches where it comes from a pulpit, or a mosque, or the palace, or a political platform, or the keyboard of our social media,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to build a country where people protect one another irrespective of their religious or ethnic backgrounds, saying, “Not because we share the same faith or ethnicity, but because we share the same humanity.”

Yilwatda said Nigeria must choose peace and ensure that future generations inherit schools, homes and opportunities rather than displacement camps and memories of violence.

The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council also urged Nigerians to reject attempts to weaponise religion, ethnicity and poverty to create division, stressing that humanity remains the common bond among citizens.

The Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof Cornelius Omonokhua, said Christians and Muslims must promote mercy, compassion, love and respect for human dignity.

Omonokhua said, “No one is created a Christian, and no one is created a Muslim. We are created as human beings; hence what binds us together is humanity.”

He said religion must not be used to justify violence, noting that both Christianity and Islam uphold the sanctity of human life.

He added, “We should never allow anybody to weaponise religion or ethnicity or poverty to turn us against each other. May God give us security and may we continue to live in peace and harmony.”

The NIREC executive secretary said the council had continued to promote human dignity, the common good and welfare of Nigerians through cooperation between Christians and Muslims.

Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto and Co-Chairman of NIREC, Sa’ad Abubakar III, called for greater implementation of agreements reached at conferences, saying Nigeria does not lack solutions to its problems.

“We don’t lack solutions to our problems. What we lack is implementation. How to implement whatever we agree to do,” the Sultan said.

He also urged Christians and Muslims to desist from insulting one another, saying, “Christians should stop insulting Muslims. Muslims should stop insulting Christians, and that’s how we live in peace.”

The conference was attended by the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Issa, who is present to witness the signing of the Abuja Declaration, which seeks to establish a new alliance between Muslim and Christian leaders and create a peace-building mechanism to help Nigeria and West Africa prevent religious tensions from escalating into violence.

Sheikh Al-Issa is a leading global voice for moderate Islam and interfaith outreach. He is also the most senior Islamic figure to have visited Auschwitz and, during the papacy of Pope Francis, spearheaded one of the first agreements between an Islamic organisation and the Vatican.

Also present at the ceremony were ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, governors, religious leaders, traditional rulers and a host of other dignitaries. (The PUNCH)

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