‘It is damaging’ — Osinbajo faults weaponisation of ethnic, religious biases during polls

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says it is possible for Nigeria to conquer ethnic and religious prejudices.

Osinbajo spoke on Monday at the maiden policy-making and good governance lecture series of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Plateau state.

The vice-president faulted the “weaponisation” of ethnic and religious biases for political purposes, adding that democratic competition was defined by societal sociocultural diversity.

Speaking on the recently concluded general election, Osinbajo said leaders do not “have the luxury of toying with prejudice”, adding that they “have a duty to conduct themselves with a high sense of responsibility even as they prosecute the contest for power”.

He said there is a need to assess the extent to which political actors comply with the peace accord they sign.

“One of the unsavoury tendencies that was witnessed in this election cycle was the weaponization of ethnic, religious and sectional prejudices in ways that are damaging to social cohesion,” he said.

“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.”

He said Nigeria’s diversity is neither a liability nor a curse but a blessing and an asset.

“Social integration is one of the highest ideals of Nigeria’s constitution which guarantees citizens the right to traverse the length and breadth of this country without hindrance,” Osinbajo said.

“The constitution affirms the right of all Nigerians to not be discriminated against on the basis of their identity Above all, the constitution holds up integration as a priority.”

He said the law was not created to fuel an apartheid system that distinguishes between natives and settlers but to create a civic nation.

“Is it possible to conquer ethnic or religious prejudices and build a unified nation? Yes it is, but it is a journey, not an event; and it is perhaps the most important issue in nation-building,” Osinbajo said.

“As humanity seeks to build a more durable, just and sustainable civilisation, our natural prejudices and allied irredentist urges have to be disciplined and sublimated in a mutuality rooted in our shared humanity.”

According to the professor of law, the most prosperous places are countries that have learned to harness diversity while building inclusive institutions.