National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has called on religious leaders across Nigeria to promote peace, reconciliation and unity rather than messages capable of fuelling hatred and division.
Yilwatda made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the International Conference on National Security for Socio-economic Development, organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bidiah wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS Nigeria) in collaboration with the Muslim World League of Saudi Arabia.
The APC chairman said Nigeria’s religious, ethnic and cultural diversity should be viewed as an asset rather than a reason for conflict.
He said his personal experiences had shaped his understanding of the importance of peaceful coexistence among people of different faiths.
“I’ve experienced the painful part of diversity, and I’ve experienced the beautiful part of the same diversity,” Yilwatda said.
‘Violence Does Not Discriminate’
Yilwatda recalled growing up in a community where his father, a pastor, maintained a close relationship with the local chief imam.
He said both families regularly visited each other and celebrated religious occasions together despite their different faiths.
According to him, the experience taught him that religious differences should never become a basis for separating Nigerians or treating people differently.
He also recounted how his family was affected by a violent crisis after his father was transferred to Bauchi in 1991.
Yilwatda said his family home and neighbourhood were destroyed during the violence, while Christians and Muslims were forced to seek safety in military barracks.
He said he later spent about three months in an internally displaced persons’ camp, where people from different religious backgrounds faced the same fear, hunger and uncertainty.
The experience, he said, demonstrated that violence does not discriminate based on religion, ethnicity or social status.
‘We Weaponise Religion’
Yilwatda warned that Nigeria continues to face serious threats, including terrorism, banditry, communal violence, ethnic suspicion, religious intolerance and hate speech.
He also criticised politicians who exploit religious and ethnic sentiments for political gain, saying such tactics may provide temporary political benefits while leaving lasting damage.
“We weaponise religion. We weaponise division for political advantage. Temporary advantage, but it leaves permanent damage on our lives,” he said.
The APC chairman urged Nigerians to reflect on whether their religious beliefs were encouraging them to respect and protect people of other faiths.
Call to Religious Leaders
Yilwatda called on religious leaders to make churches and mosques centres of peace, reconciliation and responsible citizenship.
He urged them to remain truthful in their teachings without using messages that could provoke hatred or violence.
“Let us preach truth without hatred, conviction without contempt, and truth without incitement,” he said.
Yilwatda said Nigeria should work towards a society where Christians and Muslims protect one another and where citizens defend the dignity of others regardless of their religion or ethnic background.
Source: International Conference on National Security for Socio-economic Development.
