Nigeria: Tension High, Don’t Heat Polity Further, Ex-Sokoto Governor Bafawara Cautions Politicians

A former Governor of Nigeria’s northwestern Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, has called on politicians and political commentators across the country to pipe down on political issues that tend to heat up the polity and polarise citizens but rather, concentrate more on issues of good governance.

According to Mr Bafarawa, Nigeria is already faced with severe challenges of insecurity, threat for secession, and slow economic growth resulting from increased level of poverty.

He says a considerable degree of attention on these issues will ensure the country makes headway towards unity, peace, growth and development.

“The agitation for the rotation or zoning of the position of the Presidency has been our greatest political quagmire for a very long time in our political growth or evolution in the country,” the former governor said in a statement on Sunday.

He added further that “It has always caused tension, bringing mistrust and threat of restructuring or secession or similar challenges signaling breakup of the country or mistrust among our major tribes and religions.

“We should be wary of making any comments bordering on the issue of zoning or rotation of the position of President to any part of the country.

“At this crucial period of time when the country is enmeshed in various challenges, I use this opportunity to offer advise to our politicians as well as our numerous socio-political commentators spread across the country to delve less in politics and instead offer more constructive advise on how best the government could get the country out of this mess.

“Our advise should be centered on offering solutions to solve the problems of insecurity as well as solution to our economic problems so that we could douse the tensed atmosphere brought about by the present predicament of insecurity, and similar problems.”

“We should imbibe the culture of reducing political bickering, agitations, sounding drums of war and exhibiting primordial tendencies which clearly are intended to either cause mischief or tear the country into pieces through unnecessary advocacy.

“The idea of having peace and peaceful existence in this country should be our watchwords rather than advocacy calling for zoning, secession, and whatever in the midst of severe economic problems, Boko Haram, kidnapping, banditry and many other forms of unwanted and unwarranted challenges affecting us as a nation.”

By Abel Ejikeme

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