2023 Interrogatories: Plans for Peace and Unity

Femi Akintunde-Johnson

Perhaps more than on any other issue, the self-acclaimed “Nigerian unifier”, and presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar waxes eloquently, even elegantly, on the salient twin matter of Peace and Unity! On several occasions, especially during nationally observed festive periods, he has been well documented by the national media pontificating about the virtues and values of embellishing peace and unity. Let us pool some of his submissions, oftentimes against established posturing.

 Late last year, on Christmas day, ThisDay captured Abubakar’s statement thus: “As a nation, we can achieve more if we stay united, extend hands of fellowship to one another and be law abiding. We must also rededicate ourselves to the virtues of faith in God, love for one another and make these virtues more evident and practical in our daily living.”

 “…We cannot move forward as a country until we all realise that we are first Nigerians, before our religious beliefs, ethnic identities, political leanings and cultural affiliations and as such, we must show respect for one another by living in peace…

 “This is why I find it amusing when people declare Nigeria’s unity as fixed and non-negotiable, while doing everything in their power to destroy that fragile unity. Nothing in the relationships among peoples is fixed for eternity.

 “You cannot declare your marriage as non-negotiable, while doing everything to sow seeds of discord in that same marriage. Countries can be created by force. You can whip groups of people into forming a country but you cannot whip them into forming a nation.

 “Nations are built through conscious or even unconscious agreement by peoples who believe that being together is, on balance, more beneficial than being apart.”

On the same track, and in a tone that should evoke warmth and hope in those who clamour for a more equitable society, Abubakar declares: “Nigeria needs peace, unity and prosperity. But all three of these virtues are dependent on Nigeria having social justice. Without justice, there cannot be cohesiveness in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation like Nigeria.

 “Nigeria has foundational issues, which we have to resolve. Until we resolve those issues, our nation may not fulfill its potential of being the beacon of light for the Black Race, even if we have the most righteous people at the helm.

 “If half of our people expend their energies pulling Nigeria in one direction, and the other half counter by pulling her in the other direction, our motherland will never know peace, unity and prosperity…” (see Daily Post of 25 January, 2022).

 In April last year, after receiving an honorary doctorate degree in Management from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State (one of the ill-fated states under the excruciating pummeling of banditry and terrorism), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, made his position clear on the route to peace and unity. According to TVC News’ loosely dated blog post, Tinubu challenged Nigerians to make a decision: “whether to give the truest meaning to our national motto ‘peace and unity’ or we allow the agents of destruction and merchants of violence to have their way with us”.

 He enjoined Nigerians to identify “terrible people and strong forces (who) want to break Nigeria’s appointment with its greater destiny… terrible people (who) seek not only to ravage the agricultural community but to visit misery on the rest of the nation through food scarcity and food costs that poor people can simply not afford.”

 “We must decide whether our farmland and grazing areas are to be battlegrounds, or they are to return to their role of feeding the nation.

 “This is where committed Nigerians of all stripes and vocations must join in peace and unity… Whether city or rural dweller, whether farmer or herder, we must join in common cause against the real enemies that we face: the terrorists and bandits who attempt to pull us apart… 

 “Good Nigerians must stop fighting each other so that we can present a unified front against the common violent threat.”

His independence day speech (recorded in The Guardian of 1 October, 2022), was more effusive and vehement: “The path we walk has not always been an easy or smooth one, but we walk it nonetheless because it is the road hewn by our own hands, ingenuity and aspirations…”

“While we have firmly established democracy as our way of governance, we still have work to do in perfecting our form of governance such that government will always and completely be for, of, by and because of the people.

 “That our people live in the dignity afforded by prosperity, justice, freedom and an unyielding belief in our capacity to overcome any obstacle was what compelled our founders to strive for the independence we now enjoy…

“May we all seek the best for Nigeria regardless of partisan affiliation and may we never undermine the national purpose in pursuit of narrow gain.

 “As the nation heads toward the coming election, may we all eschew violence and recourse to divisive, incendiary politics that pull against the fabric of national unity and concord.”

 Finally, let’s start the last leg of the “Peace Search” with the prayer tweets of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party delivered during the Eid-El-Maulud commemoration a few weeks ago (see The Punch, 9 October, 2022): “May today’s celebration bring to birth, in our highly divided nation, the much needed peace and unity, love and progress.  May we unite in purpose and efforts, to move our nation forward, as we journey into the New Nigeria.”

 Obi makes a plain confession in Vanguard of 22 September, 2022: “We are so badly polarised in our country. We have become more sharply divided along ethnic and religious lines that we all live in mutual distrust of one another, and true peace continues to elude us.”

 Then goes ahead the following month to chart what he believes are routes to peace and unity: “I want to give Nigerians hope. I and my running mate will be in charge, they will not find us wanting, we have the physical strength, I will dialogue with every agitator because it will make us a better and united Nigeria…

 “But we must return to (the) dreams of our founding fathers to create an egalitarian society. The Nigeria we seek will be a United and Secure Nigeria that symbolizes the spirit, letters, and exhorting ethos of our national anthem – ‘one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity’, where ‘peace and justice shall reign’.” (See ThisDay, 18 October, 2022)

Meditating on peace and unity takes me to the soul-stirring song of Hillsong Young & Free entitled ‘Peace’ – especially the song’s third stanza: “There’s a peace far beyond all understanding / May it ever set my heart at ease / Dare anxiety come, I’ll remember / That peace is a promise You keep / Peace is a promise You keep”.

 Now, who amongst these gladiators have the capacity, composure and temperament to seek, nurture and keep the elusive peace and unity that we dearly crave and covet? The answer is in the wind of 2023.