The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has called on religious leaders to take a leading role in promoting peace, tolerance and national unity across Nigeria.
Yilwatda made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at an International Conference on National Security for Socio-economic Development organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bidiah wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS), in partnership with the Muslim World League of Saudi Arabia.
He urged religious leaders to use their influence to discourage hatred, incitement and division, stressing that Nigeria’s religious, ethnic and cultural diversity should be seen as a source of strength.
Yilwatda said the country should work towards a society where Christians and Muslims protect one another and defend the dignity of every citizen, irrespective of religious or ethnic differences.
Drawing from his personal experience, the APC chairman said his upbringing exposed him to peaceful relationships between Christians and Muslims, noting that his father, a pastor, maintained a close relationship with a local chief imam.
He said the relationship between the two families demonstrated that religious differences should not create hostility or separation among Nigerians.
Yilwatda, however, recalled the devastating consequences of communal violence when his family was affected by a crisis after his father was transferred to Bauchi in 1991.
He said their home and neighbourhood were burnt during the crisis, forcing Christians and Muslims to seek refuge in military barracks. He added that he later spent about three months in an internally displaced persons’ camp, where he witnessed the impact of violence on people regardless of their faith.
According to him, Nigeria continues to face security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, communal conflicts, ethnic tensions, religious intolerance and hate speech.
He also warned against politicians exploiting religious and ethnic sentiments for political gains, saying such actions could cause lasting damage to the country.
Yilwatda urged religious leaders to make mosques and churches centres of peace, reconciliation and responsible citizenship.
He called on them to communicate their religious convictions without hatred or incitement, stressing that religious teachings should promote respect for the dignity and freedom of people of other faiths.
He said building a peaceful Nigeria requires citizens of different religious and ethnic backgrounds to protect one another and reject attempts to turn diversity into a source of conflict.
