The recent political events in Nigeria have further widened the debate on the inevitability of the sovereign nation’s breakup amongst its major ethnic groups. And until drastic steps are taken to curtail the situation, Nigeria may be looking the way of Sudan.

While the country is enjoying unprecedented silence from the notorious separatist groups, the Independent People of Biafra, as well as the Yoruba Nation agitators, the political actors’ unwitting actions and inactions are subtly awakening the electorate’s mindsets toward making electoral choices based on primitive sentiments of religious and tribal affiliation, rather than on basic criteria for good governance. The situation holds the potency for the disintegration of the country.

In each major political camp are pointers to possible irreconcilable differences, with their key players riding on religious and tribal sentiments to infiltrate the minds of many for electoral gains.

The precarious situation now leaves behind a strong fear of full-blown separationist terror activities should the electoral victory swing in favour of the opponent’s camp.

The South-East part of the country, which is the nest of Biafra emancipation advocates, has in recent times been a flashing point of secession-related terror activities. The flagrant negligence and marginalisation of the region in aspects of civil dividends by the central government is part of the underlying causes of the unrest.

The unwholesome encroachment by nomadic Hausa-Fulani cattle rearers in the Yoruba predominant parts of the South has also pushed the natives of the region to take up arms in defence of their farmlands.

Why Yoruba Nation’s agitation technically hinges on a similar root cause of IPOB’s, the two situations have, however, only further increased the call from the regions for a referendum on possible secession.

However, the forthcoming elections in the country have brought a delicate poser to the situation.

Early March this year, the hegemonic northern coalition of the ruling party unanimously agreed to the secession of power to the South. This is considered a fair bargain considering the fact that, by all indices, the religious conservative region has held on to power many years more than the South. The permutation that has never favoured the South-East.

But while this northern ‘gesture’ is expected to assuage the flaming lips of the separatists, the eventual candidatures of the one-time governors of Lagos State and his Anambra counterpart, Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi respectively, and the emergency of a former vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has however further inflamed the belligerence hitherto existed amongst the regions.

The choice of a Muslim-Muslim ticket — a situation where, if materialised, the President and Vice President will be of the same faith —by the ruling party (the All Progressives Congress) has not only put the Christian community in the defence, it’s also lending plausible credence to the milling conspiracy to Islamise the country. This is considered a seeming effrontery capable of further pitching the predominant Christian South against the predominantly Muslim north.

Tinubu is a secular Muslim from the South; Obi, a Catholic adherent also from the South, and Atiku, a serial presidential hopeful of Muslim Northern extract. While many consider the choice for their Vice Presidential candidates as exigencies of mere political calculations—a political strategy to entice more voters—those in other camps believe it is a pointer to a clandestine motif. The latter position is often to spite the antics of the ruling party for floating a mono-religion ticket.

Inter alia, ethnicity and religious bias will not just be factors shaping electoral outcomes now, the country’s electoral processes have always had the history of ethnoreligious colouration on any regime composition, a situation the country’s current federal administration has worsened through a series of allegations of nepotism and religious bigotry.

Combating this issue, many think tanks, both locally and internationally, have on many occasions called on the electoral stakeholders, particularly the country’s electoral umpire to re-strategise the mode of engagement in order to safeguard the nation’s unity and foster tolerance and peaceful coexistence amongst the citizenry during and after the electioneering processes.

The process should be devoid of any divisive tendency. Candidates should strongly be encouraged to emulate the best democratic practices from the global best democracies and run issue-based campaigns while shunning divisive remarks that can trigger reprisal from the opposing camps.

And in ensuring adherence to this spirit of sportsmanship, the Independent National Electoral Commission can further weigh in with prescribed sanctions on culpable political parties found pitching one section of the country against the other through its activities, either by the party, or its standard-bearer.

In addition to the aforesaid, an enactment of strong legislation that will see to the promotion of a balanced, all-inclusive and fair representation of all ethnoreligious sections in political parties; and ensuring the ethos are reflective in the composites of party standard-bearers.

The condiment for national cohesion is multi-layered, however, the real solution might also be a simple answer to a simple question of good governance. Promoting and delivery of good governance will put minds of people away from primitive and divisive sentiments.

Adetutu, a writing Fellow at African Liberty, writes from Katsina

https://punchng.com/nigeria-may-be-dividing-much-earlier-than-predicted/?amp

God no go shame us

I think so.

Jennifer663:
I think so.

I'm gonna act like I didn't see this

When Buhari was openly practicing nepotism of the worst type for the past 8 years against a specific section of the country, all of you kept quiet. Folks were providing all sorts of emberassing excuses as to why Buhari should be allowed to saturate the Armed forces and the civil service with his fellow Muslim northerners. Now, the reactions to this bigoted practice are threatening the very flawed foundation upon which this strange country was built and folks are pissing in their tribal pants? A president openly called a major section of the country "5%" and "dot in a circle", and you laughed on.. So why the umbrage now?

We like to treat the symptoms instead of the desease in this country. This Writer was busy moaning about the "separatists", without roundly blaming the architects of tribal politics in the country. Great disservice! It's these small minded janja-weed politicians who hyjacked power in 2015, that woke up all the hitherto dormant separatists feelings and strongholds in this country. APC, Buhari and his ideologically flawed henchmen like Tinupoo are the reasons why the country is in this sorry pass. Not the socalled separatists! The separatists are only responding to the idiocy called Buhari! If everyone was treated fairly, no one will be willing to die to change that.

Make e happen fast fast.

If Tinubu had presented a smart person with outstanding record we (Christians) will not complain, but picking something that has terrorist symbols is a point of concern. Tinubu is not feeling well right now which is a great problem. He should not by any chance try to rig the election or intimidate voters with thugs it's not going to help people are at the edge right now and it's dangerous If they are let me remind you about ENDSARS even police won't defend you this time.

Nigeria will not divide

Nigeria will not divide. It is democracy and the north have the number and there is a northern son too who in my opinion is the best of the 3. Atiku is detribalised and moderate, experienced and has all it takes to unify our country and slowly put us back on the path of progress and prosperity. If APC was serious, they would have given their ticket to Osibanjo and maybe some of us would have given them benefit of the doubt.

The catalyst that will hasten Nigerias’ long overdue disintegration wouldn’t be Mazi Kanu or IPOB as daft ‘one Nigerianists’ think. The terrorists, bandits, Fulani herdsmen and northern kidnappers who have all made incursions into the south are already doing a good job of it themselves and don’t need any help!

DOTian:
When Buhari was openly practicing nepotism of the worst type for the past 8 years against a specific section of the country, all of you kept quiet. Folks were providing all sorts of emberassing excuses as to why Buhari should be allowed to saturate the Armed forces and the civil service with his fellow Muslim northerners. Now, the reactions to this bigoted practice are threatening the very flawed foundation upon which this strange country was built and folks are pissing in their tribal pants? A president openly called a major section of the country "5%" and "dot in a circle", and you laughed on.. So why the umbrage now?

We like to treat the symptoms instead of the desease in this country. This Writer was busy moaning about the "separatists", without roundly blaming the architects of tribal politics in the country. Great disservice! It's these small minded janja-weed politicians who hyjacked power in 2015, that woke up all the hitherto dormant separatists feelings and strongholds in this country. APC, Buhari and his ideologically flawed henchmen like Tinupoo are the reasons why the country is in this sorry pass. Not the socalled separatists! The separatists are only responding to the idiocy called Buhari! If everyone was treated fairly, no one will be willing to die to change that.

Spot on!

Adetutu has written this to make other Nigerians become afraid and vote Tinubu to avoid Nigeria breaking. He and PO will lose and Nigeria will remain one country .

Sharia and hijab we move

Na today we don dey hear am?

See comments above

Begging for Biafra to stay


Biafra exit sure

Biafra exit sure


Good

Frank488:
Make e happen fast fast.

Shaaa our governor dey pack our rice go North. If Bandits like make them enter my state dem no go see me but na our governor way give them free hand way them go visit and we will clap for them

Anything that brings peace and tranquility to the citizens of Nigeria is welcome

APCnaPDP:
Adetutu has written this to make other Nigerians become afraid and vote Tinubu to avoid Nigeria breaking. He and PO will lose and Nigeria will remain one country .

It's what it is. Sink that into your skull.

Amalgamation which already expired by the way is all about the South and the North.

Fielding another Northerner despite an outgoing Northerner is contrary to the amalgamation which will put the dissolution of Nigeria to effect immediately.

Kagd10:


It's what it is. Sink that into your skull.

Amalgamation which already expired by the way is all about the South and the North.

Fielding another Northerner despite an outgoing Northerner is contrary to the amalgamation which will put the dissolution of Nigeria to effect immediately.

Nigeria will never divide, you can take it to the bank. Atiku will win and nothing will happen.

APCnaPDP:


Nigeria will never divide, you can take it to the bank. Atiku will win and nothing will happen.

That was you all said when Nigeria birthed democracy govt.

TBH, I don't even understand why some Northerners don't want the best for the country since you are scared of splitting? Either support the progress of the country or we split. It's simple

Kagd10:


You wanna bet on it? Lol

That was you all said when Nigeria birthed democracy govt.

TBH, I don't even understand why some Northerners don't want the best for the country since you are scared of splitting? Either support the progress of the country or we split. It's simple

What is best for the country? Tinubu? Obi? I can dissect both for you but I don’t want to sound like I am disrespecting them, so I will allow you to go and verify lol.

APCnaPDP:


What is best for the country? Tinubu? Obi? I can dissect both for you but I don’t want to sound like I am disrespecting them, so I will allow you to go and verify lol.

Yeah, they're better than Atiku who looted Nigeria commonwealth through the privatisation he supervised.

We could say Peter Obi didn't achieve anything in Anambra and was also corrupt but he's better than Atiku who was the previous VP that looted everywhere through the privatisation he supervised.

Atiku stays at large in Dubai at large while waiting for every election time for another chance to empty Nigeria treasury.

Anyway, it's the South turn.

The emergence of BIAFRA has always been a powerful prayer point.

Kagd10:


Yeah, they're better than Atiku who looted Nigeria commonwealth through the privatisation he supervised.

We could say Peter Obi didn't achieve a lot in Anambra and was also corrupt but he's better than Atiku who was the previous VP who looted everywhere through the privatisation he supervised.

Atiku stays at large in Dubai while waiting for every election for another chance to empty Nigeria treasury.

Now I understand you, you are a Tinubu supporter. Just know that with the amount of money Lagos makes via IGR, even a goat will perform as much as the governors in the state have performed. Lagos’s development is much lower than what is expected from a state that houses most foreign organisations s, companies, embassies etc. Most of these organisations have their headquarters in Lagos, exports and imports flow through Lagos.

APCnaPDP:


Now I understand you, you are a Tinubu supporter. Just know that with the amount of money Lagos makes via IGR, even a goat will perform as much as the governors in the state have performed. Lagos’s development is much lower than what is expected from a state that houses most foreign organisations s, companies, embassies etc. Most of these organisations have their headquarters in Lagos, exports and imports flow through Lagos.

The Lagos IGR? Who made it possible? Abi you dey mad?

Meanwhile, let's not forget the fact that Obasanjo withheld Lagos allocation for several years yet Tinubu ensured Lagos thrived regardless and improved Lagos economy to what it is today. We need such at the federal level. Better still, we can ask each candidate to rule their region las las.