The Kukah Centre (TKC), a Nigeria-based policy research institute, has called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to address what it called growing division as well the politics of identity which often characterise Nigeria’s elections.
TKC was founded by founded by Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto.
Speaking in Lagos at a Peace Forum tagged “Strengthening Social Cohesion in Lagos State”, the Executive Director of TKC, Fr. Atta Barkindo, expressed worry that 2023 election was largely defined by division and politics of identity especially in Lagos State.
The forum organized by The Kukah Centre with support from MacArthur Foundation, attracted critical stakeholders including youths, traditional rulers, business community, among others.
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Responding to questions from newsmen on the sidelines of the programme, Barkindo said the centre initiated a post – election conversation with critical stakeholders in Lagos regarding identity, politics, social cohesion and common citizenship.
According to him, the conversations have revealed some underlying challenges that government needs to address urgently in order to strengthen the social cohesion in the country.
He said, “The conversation we have had with them are quite revealing in a way and manner that so much is happening underneath Nigeria that political actors may necessarily not be aware of.
“The underlying issues mentioned during the presentation, one of them is, growing division for example. The insistence of indigene-settler issue in Lagos. Another one is the complete absence of deliberate and intentional government strategies to unite people.
“We don’t have that existing and we keep creating different local identities that increasingly divide people. For us, these issues are every concerning.
“The final one is that, we see this happening only during elections, people go to the market, they meet in the same place. They use taxi, but they don’t ask driver where you come from. They go to the hospital, they want to get well, they don’t ask about tribe. It’s only when it comes to elections that exploitation of identity becomes so huge and so dangerous.
“And I think how we can now address this issue of identity politics during elections is critical issue. Some of the issues that we have identified are really serious issues that government should take very seriously.”
Barkindo, who is the Head of Secretariat for the National Peace Committee, explained that lessons learnt from the Lagos enhancement will be used for proper intervention across all states of the country.
The Lagos Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, also expressed worry over the division in the last election, saying the crisis has left “indelible marks in our souls.”
“If Nigeria blows up, we all don’t have a home. If Lagos blows up, we all don’t have a home,” he said while appealing to youths to prioritize social cohesion among themselves.
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