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Some stakeholders in Kaduna State have called on the president-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu to run a unity government to manage the country’s diversity.
The stakeholders made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna on Wednesday, while reacting to the emergence of Tinubu, winner of the Feb. 25 Presidential Election.
Godwin Kwalbe, a History lecturer at Kaduna State University, congratulated Tinubu and urged him to manage Nigeria’s diversity that had remained a challenge to the nation’s unity.
Mr Kwalbe stressed that the first priority of the president-elect should be to integrate Nigerians to work together as a team for a prosperous nation.
“Bola Tinubu’s emergence at the polls is historic when considering the reactions that trial the same faith ticket after the primary elections.
“What is ahead of him is very great due to the wide division along ethnic and religious lines. Since 2015, Nigeria has become increasingly divisive along religious, ethnic and regional lines.
“What this means is that he has a huge task ahead of him.
“Beyond the issue of rebuilding the economy, Tinubu needs to address the primordia and parochial politics that has eaten deep into the nation’s fabric,” he said.
On the electoral process that brought Mr Tinubu to power, the historian expressed concern over the refusal of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, to electronically transmit results as planned.
He explained that the process, which he alleged was visibly marred by irregularities and suspicions, had created a lot of tension in some parts of the country.
According to him, efforts must be made to douse the tension and agitation before they got out of hand.
“I urged Nigerians to use legal means to address their concerns because we cannot afford to experience another post-election violence.
“We have suffered enough on this; we have experienced so much destruction due to post-election violence that has affected our economy and inter group relations,” he said.
Also, the President of Campaign for Democracy, Abdul Bako advised the president-elect against winner-takes-all kind of leadership.
According to Mr Bako, a unity government is what we need to quell the troubles already brewing across the country due to dissatisfaction in some quarters on the electoral processes.
“I, therefore, call on Tinubu to extend a hand of fellowship to all the candidates that lost and work with them for the good of the country.
“While INEC must have failed us by failing to electronically transmit election results from polling units as promised, we must try to find ways to work together for peace and development of the country.
“Protest of any kind and potential violence will only leave the poor masses at the receiving end.
“For the aggrieved candidates and their supporters, we urge them to use legal channels to seek redress.
“For the lectorate, we have the opportunity to change underperforming leaders after four years,” Mr Bako said.
NAN
