Sanusi laments Nigeria ‘dangerously divided along ethnic and religious lines’
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Former Emir of Kano Lamido Sanusi has expressed concern Nigeria has become more divided than it was during the Civil War that lasted from 1967 to 1970.
He lamented Nigeria is now “dangerously divided along ethnic and religious lines” because of the 2023 election and that puts the integrity of public institutions into question.
“The people now have suspicions about policies, policing, judiciary and the election umpire,” Sanusi said.
He made the remarks at the third Nigerian Leadership Colloquium in honour of Trinity House, Lagos Senior Pastor, Ituah Ighodalo, who turned 62.
The event was tagged “A new Nigeria: Leadership imperatives for radical growth and transformation.”
Sanusi, in his address via Zoom, insisted Nigeria has a challenge of nation building and the economy is in the doldrums.
“In October 2022, speaking at the Kaduna Investment Forum, I told Nigerians that if anyone told them that dealing with Nigeria post-2023 would be easy, they should not vote for that person. I meant it,” he recounted.
“I don’t think Nigeria has been in a place as difficult as this since the Civil War. We have a challenge of nation building.
“We have a country that has been divided dangerously along ethnic and religious lines.
“We have an economy that is in the doldrums, and unfortunately, we seem to be having a dearth of leadership.”
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Need for public debate by election candidates
Sanusi said beyond defining the kind of leaders the country needs, it also needs to look critically at the process through which leaders emerge, via The PUNCH.
“No process is perfect. We have seen so in the United Kingdom and the United States. At the very least, the people should know who they are voting for. I think we need to begin to look at the Electoral Act, 2022 much earlier than elections.
“We need to have a system where one cannot just go to participate in party primaries without being exposed to public scrutiny. This is what happens everywhere. People need to know what they are voting for. In other climes, they are compelled by law to participate in public debates to discuss issues of policy.
“This is the only country I know where we elect a President first before knowing if he knows what he is doing or whether he understands what the job is.”
The process through which Nigerians choose their leaders should be more transparent, Sanusi added.
