Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, in an address to the students of NIPSS, Plataeau State on Monday talks about the future we all need.
These elections witnessed the exploitation by political actors of the fears and anxieties of people about so-called outsiders. Any attempts to deny people the right to vote in any locality on the basis that they do not belong in that place is condemnable in the strongest possible terms.
When ethnic or religious prejudices are weaponised for political purposes, we are confronted with a lethal potentially destructive situation.
The most prosperous places are countries that have learned to harness diversity while building ever more inclusive institutions
Discrimination against people on the basis of their identity is explicitly condemned by most legal codes, including our own Constitution.
But there is still a tension that exists between this new Nigeria and the old Nigeria as understood by a generation that is much more accustomed to political mobilization on the basis of identity.
But we must ennoble and validate the Nigeria that our young people are consciously or unconsciously building.
This is the future we want.
Let us never forget that although we may speak different languages, belong to different tribes and profess diverse creeds; we are bound, above all else, by the language of a shared hope, by our common humanity as Nigerians, and a supreme faith in the possibility of our country.
If we are truly committed to economic growth, then we must also be committed to creating inclusive communities and strengthening social cohesion. Put another way, the only thing that grows in a climate of tribal hatred is poverty. This is why justice, healing, and a stronger commitment to the ideals of integration are so important.
Where the forces of primordial division and polarization are harnessed for the sake of electoral gain, the venom of such devices remains and continues to poison communal relations, setting neighbour against neighbour. We have witnessed the catastrophic consequences of the political weaponization of prejudice in places such as Rwanda.
Author
