National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has warned political leaders against exploiting religion and ethnicity for political advantage, saying such practices deepen divisions and could cause lasting damage to Nigeria.
Yilwatda made the remarks on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking at the International Conference on Security and National Unity, organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS) in collaboration with the Muslim World League.
He said Nigeria’s religious and ethnic diversity should be regarded as a source of strength rather than used as a tool for political mobilisation and division.
Reflecting on his personal experience as a displaced person during the Bauchi crisis, the APC chairman said violence does not discriminate on the basis of religion.
According to him, both Christians and Muslims suffer the consequences of violence, regardless of their faith.
Yilwatda therefore urged politicians to refrain from using religion and ethnicity as political weapons, warning that while such strategies may produce temporary electoral gains, their consequences could be permanent.
He called on political leaders to prioritise national unity and peaceful coexistence over narrow political interests.
The APC chairman also urged religious leaders to use mosques and churches as centres for peacebuilding, reconciliation and dialogue.
He appealed to traditional rulers to promote dialogue and reconciliation rather than retaliation whenever conflicts arise in their communities.
Yilwatda further called on Nigerians to reject hate speech and inflammatory rhetoric regardless of the platform from which they originate.
He stressed that building a secure and united Nigeria requires collective responsibility, with political, religious and traditional leaders playing critical roles in promoting peaceful coexistence.
