Vice President Kashim Shettima’s call on Nigerians to reject ethnic profiling, religious hatred, misinformation and retaliatory violence deserves the widest possible support. Speaking in Jos, Plateau State, at the 80th birthday celebration and public presentation of the autobiography of former Governor Jonah Jang, Shettima reminded Nigerians that “crime has no tribe, violence has no religion, and murder carries no mandate from any community.” No criminal, he argued, represents an entire ethnic or religious group. That message is timely as the nation inches toward another season of political campaigns from September.
Nigeria’s diversity is both its greatest strength and its greatest vulnerability. In a country of over 250 ethnic nationalities and multiple faiths, reckless ethnic trolling can quickly poison public discourse, inflame passions and trigger violence. Elections should be contests of ideas, competence and programmes. Too often, however, they descend into contests of ethnicity and religion, with politicians deliberately exploiting primordial loyalties to divide citizens and harvest votes.
Nigeria’s political, ethnic and religious elite bear heavy responsibility for this toxic culture. Rather than discourage prejudice, many have weaponised ethnic identity for selfish political gain, portraying opponents as enemies of particular regions or faiths. Such rhetoric deepens mistrust, weakens national cohesion and distracts attention from the real issues of governance, insecurity, unemAployment and poverty.
