RismadarVoice Reporters, August 12, 2026
President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to preserve the unity of the country despite their religious, ethnic and other differences, stressing that dialogue remains critical to maintaining a united Nigeria.
Tinubu, represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, made the call on Tuesday at the International Conference on Security and National Unity organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah in partnership with the Muslim World League.
The President said his administration remained committed to tackling Nigeria’s security challenges while working with other countries to promote peace and stability.
He urged Nigerians to resolve their differences through dialogue rather than allowing them to threaten the unity of the country.
The President said, “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 described the conference as timely, given the security challenges confronting Nigeria and other parts of the world.
He expressed optimism that discussions at the event would contribute to efforts to promote sustainable peace across Nigeria, Africa and the wider international community.
The President also commended the Muslim World League for partnering with JIBWIS and selecting Nigeria as the first country to host the conference.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, warned political leaders against exploiting religion and ethnicity for political gains.
Yilwatda said such practices could deepen divisions and cause lasting damage to the country.
He maintained that Nigeria’s religious and ethnic diversity should be regarded as a source of strength rather than a reason for conflict.
Reflecting on his experience as a displaced person during the Bauchi crisis, the APC chairman said violence did not discriminate between Christians and Muslims, as people from different backgrounds suffered alike.
“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.
Yilwatda said his experience in an internally displaced persons’ camp taught him that Nigerians could practise different religions while sharing common fears, aspirations and a collective destiny.
He urged political leaders to resist using religion and ethnicity as tools for gaining temporary political advantage.
“No political victory is worth the permanent damage inflicted on our nation,” he said.
The APC chairman also appealed to religious leaders to use their influence to promote peace, reconciliation and responsible citizenship.
He urged churches and mosques to become centres of peace and called on religious leaders to preach faith without hatred and conviction without incitement.
Yilwatda further called for a collective rejection of hate speech, regardless of whether it comes from religious institutions, traditional authorities, political platforms or social media.
He said Nigerians should protect one another because of their shared humanity rather than their religious or ethnic affiliations.
The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council also urged Nigerians to reject attempts to weaponise religion, ethnicity and poverty to create divisions.
The Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof Cornelius Omonokhua, said Christians and Muslims should promote compassion, love, mercy and respect for human dignity.
Omonokhua noted that Nigerians were first and foremost human beings before their religious identities.
“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.
He warned against using religion to justify violence, noting that both Christianity and Islam uphold the sanctity of human life.
The NIREC official said the council would continue promoting human dignity, the common good and the welfare of Nigerians through cooperation between Christians and Muslims.
The Sultan of Sokoto and Co-Chairman of NIREC, Sa’ad Abubakar III, called for greater implementation of resolutions reached at conferences and dialogue sessions.
The Sultan said Nigeria had enough ideas and solutions to address many of its challenges but often struggled with implementation.
“We don’t lack solutions to our problems. What we lack is implementation,” he said.
He also urged Christians and Muslims to avoid insulting one another, saying mutual respect was necessary for peaceful coexistence.
The conference was attended by the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Issa, who was present for the signing of the Abuja Declaration.
The declaration seeks to establish stronger cooperation between Muslim and Christian leaders and create a peace-building mechanism aimed at preventing religious tensions from escalating into violence in Nigeria and West Africa.
Government officials, governors, religious leaders, traditional rulers and other dignitaries also attended the conference.
