₦airaland Forum

Have you ever wondered why every election, the conversation shifts to tribe and religion instead of policy? It's not an accident.

Once campaign season begins, many Nigerians suddenly become more interested in where a candidate comes from or which religion they practice than what they plan to do about inflation, unemployment, electricity, healthcare, or education. Meanwhile, the problems affecting ordinary people remain exactly the same.

Think about it. A tomato trader in Kano, a mechanic in Aba, a teacher in Osun, a fisherman in Bayelsa, and a fresh graduate in Jos may speak different languages and worship differently, but they're all complaining about the same things: rising food prices, unstable electricity, poor-paying jobs, expensive transportation after fuel subsidy removal, and a naira that buys less every month.

When the forex crisis pushes up the cost of imported goods, it doesn't ask whether you're Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Ijaw, Tiv, Christian, or Muslim. When a company downsizes because business is struggling, workers from every background lose their jobs together. When parents struggle to pay school fees, hardship doesn't check anyone's tribe before knocking on the door.

Yet public debates often drift away from these shared economic realities and become endless arguments about identity. While citizens are busy defending "their side," few people are asking the hard questions about governance, accountability, public spending, job creation, or why basic services remain poor despite the country's enormous potential.

A divided population is easier to distract than a united one. People arguing over identity rarely have time to demand better policies that would benefit everyone.

Maybe that's why conversations about tribe and religion never seem to go out of fashion, while conversations about fixing the economy quickly fade away.

When ordinary Nigerians realise that hardship has no tribe or religion, the conversation changes—and that is far more powerful than any slogan.

Unity is the one thing the powerful can't easily control.

Auntychi:
Have you ever wondered why every election, the conversation shifts to tribe and religion instead of policy? It's not an accident.

Think about it. Corruption fighting is easy to manage — panels, EFCC headlines, a few "scapegoats" jailed every few years to show "something is being done." It makes noise, but it doesn't threaten the system. The elite can survive corruption scandals; they've been doing it for decades.

What they cannot survive is 200 million Nigerians realizing their problems are the same regardless of tribe or religion. A Hausa trader in Kano and an Igbo trader in Onitsha are both crushed by the same fuel subsidy removal, the same forex crisis, the same bad roads. A Yoruba graduate and a Fulani graduate are both jobless because of the same failed economic policy. But instead of seeing this, we're busy trading insults about "who caused Nigeria's problems" — Northerners vs Southerners, Christians vs Muslims.

Who benefits when Twitter/Nairaland fights are about tribe instead of taxation? Who benefits when your anger is pointed at your neighbor instead of the people signing budgets?

Divide and rule is not a conspiracy theory — it's basic history. It worked for colonial masters, and it's working for today's political class too.

The day ordinary Nigerians — regardless of tribe or religion — realize they have more in common with each other than with their "own" politicians, that's the day real change starts.

Until then, keep arguing about tribe. It's exactly what they want.

Blessings on you.

This is something I have always been loud about but it's like most people are programmed to be stupid. We don talk tire. E remain to use cane reset some people brains.

Smh

correctguy101:
Blessings on you.

This is something I have always been loud about but it's like most people are programmed to be stupid. We don talk tire. E remain to use cane reset some people brains.

Smh

Exactly. We don't even have to agree on everything, but we should at least recognize when we're all facing the same problems. As long as ordinary Nigerians keep seeing each other as the enemy instead of demanding better governance, nothing really changes. The conversation has to shift from division to solutions.

Auntychi:
Have you ever wondered why every election, the conversation shifts to tribe and religion instead of policy? It's not an accident.

Once campaign season begins, many Nigerians suddenly become more interested in where a candidate comes from or which religion they practice than what they plan to do about inflation, unemployment, electricity, healthcare, or education. Meanwhile, the problems affecting ordinary people remain exactly the same.

Think about it. A tomato trader in Kano, a mechanic in Aba, a teacher in Osun, a fisherman in Bayelsa, and a fresh graduate in Jos may speak different languages and worship differently, but they're all complaining about the same things: rising food prices, unstable electricity, poor-paying jobs, expensive transportation after fuel subsidy removal, and a naira that buys less every month.

When the forex crisis pushes up the cost of imported goods, it doesn't ask whether you're Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Ijaw, Tiv, Christian, or Muslim. When a company downsizes because business is struggling, workers from every background lose their jobs together. When parents struggle to pay school fees, hardship doesn't check anyone's tribe before knocking on the door.

Yet public debates often drift away from these shared economic realities and become endless arguments about identity. While citizens are busy defending "their side," few people are asking the hard questions about governance, accountability, public spending, job creation, or why basic services remain poor despite the country's enormous potential.

A divided population is easier to distract than a united one. People arguing over identity rarely have time to demand better policies that would benefit everyone.

Maybe that's why conversations about tribe and religion never seem to go out of fashion, while conversations about fixing the economy quickly fade away.

When ordinary Nigerians realise that hardship has no tribe or religion, the conversation changes—and that is far more powerful than any slogan.

Unity is the one thing the powerful can't easily control.

This is the uncomfortable conversation many avoid. Hunger doesn't ask for your tribe, unemployment doesn't check your religion, and inflation doesn't care who you voted for. As long as ordinary Nigerians keep fighting one another over identity, those responsible for fixing the economy face less pressure to deliver. We can disagree on politics, but we shouldn't let those differences stop us from demanding competence, accountability, and policies that improve everyone's lives.

Exactly. A hungry stomach has no tribe or political party. Nigerians have far more in common than what divides us. It's time to stop fighting ourselves and start holding leaders accountable for results, good governance, and policies that improve the lives of every citizen.

Very true, which is a shame that Obidients continue to insult and abuse everybody when they should be uniting with others to fight the political class.

aswani:
Very true, which is a shame that Obidients continue to insult and abuse everybody when they should be uniting with others to fight the political class.

Exactly. Insults only push potential allies away. If the goal is real change, people with similar concerns need more dialogue and less hostility. The political class benefits most when citizens are divided.