Politicians Exploiting Religion, Ethnicity For Selfish Gains – Senator Tinubu

remi tinubu

The Senator representing Lagos Central, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu has accused politicians of using religion and ethnicity to fan the ember of disunity for their selfish political gains.

Tinubu said this in her speech titled, ‘Embracing Our Complexity and Diversity’ at the 23rd Town Hall of the Lagos Central Senatorial District held last Friday in Lagos.

The senator said, “The situation (ethnic conflict) has been increasingly stoked by the readiness of our political class to manipulate the people riding on tribal animosities, sentiments and differences to access political office, gain constituents support and fulfill personal political ambitions”

She said Nigerians have been living together in harmony for ages even before the amalgation of the southern and northern protectorates in 1914 .

“Contrary to believe however, we were not alien to one another before the amalgamation. Historical accounts show that the various groups that currently make up Nigeria related through trade, commercial endeavors and occasionally, inter-marriages “she said,

Thus, all notions of how different we are, that we cannot coexist must be entirely dispelled”

The wife of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC argued further that there was nothing wrong with the ethnic compositions of Nigeria adding that if properly managed, it could spur healthy development competitions as witnessed in the first republic.

She said, ‘It is my opinion that there is nothing wrong with ethnicity. It can make and create avenues for healthy competition in economic development as exemplified by the period after independence that witnessed robust competition when the South-west led in cocoa production; the North in the production of groundnuts, cotton and cereals; and the production of palm products and root crops dominated the economy of the South-East, and where properly harnessed can be gainfully employed for the wellbeing of all”.

Senator Tinubu urged Nigerians to be tolerance and live in harmony among themselves.