Nigeria is a marriage bedevilled by suspicion ― Senate President

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has expressed concern over the spate of ethnic nationalism in the country.

He raised the concern on Friday while speaking in Abuja at the 2021 Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation with the theme: “Democracy and Unity of the State.”

Senator Lawan noted that the sense of national unity has taken flight in the country while groups promoting ethnic nationalities are taking over the political space.

The President of the Senate attributed the trend to ethnic suspicion among political leaders in the country.

He further maintained that the ethnic suspicion which has led leaders to recede to their ethnic enclave was responsible for the promotion of zoning of elective offices in the consciousness of Nigerians.

He asked those holding political offices today in the country to emulate former President Goodluck Jonathan whom he described as a national unifier while he was in the saddle as President.

He said: “When you have a marriage bedevilled by suspicion, that marriage is likely to suffer a bit. What we need to do is to behave like you sir. As leaders, be open to all manners of people especially those that we lead.

“That we don’t allow suspicion between us. When political leaders allow for suspicion between and among themselves, the outcome is the grassroots or the ethnic nationalities will behave the same way.

“Today, I daresay sir, our major problem, among many, will be the suspicion between the different ethnic groups otherwise why will someone care or bother where the president comes from. Let the president come from anywhere.

“What we need is leadership that will give sense to the people, provide everything within the constraint of resources that the people need.

“We shouldn’t care but when we suspect each other, that’s when people crawl back to their ethnic enclaves and you are doing quite the reverse of that. You are helping Nigeria democracy to grow by the day.”

President of the Senate further advised leaders to promote what will unite Nigerians rather than continue to instigate division.

“The political class, as far as I’m concerned, is a clan. It doesn’t matter which political party you belong to. It’s a clan and that clan must ensure that we continue to unite. That we continue to engage to make this country better.

“It doesn’t matter who is in the office because we have to have a country in the first place before election can be conducted. What you are doing, Your Excellency, is to show example of what our leaders can do outside office after their service. Only God knows what will happen tomorrow but you have given a very good account of yourself.”

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