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President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to reject hate speech, religious intolerance and ethnic division, warning that stronger Christian-Muslim solidarity is critical to addressing insecurity and preserving national unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu spoke yesterday at the International Conference on Security and National Unity, organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bidiah wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS Nigeria) in collaboration with the Muslim World League.
Represented by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, the President said Nigeria’s religious and cultural diversity should be a source of strength rather than division.
He said the Federal Government remained committed to national unity and would continue to work with domestic and international partners to address emerging security threats.
“The government is determined to make sure that we remain united as a country, despite our differences, and allow this country to remain as a united nation,” he said.
The conference brought together political and religious leaders, who called for greater tolerance and interfaith cooperation as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
The Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, reaffirmed the organisation’s opposition to extremism and support for religious tolerance and dialogue.
He said differences in faith should not be used to justify hatred or violence.
Chairman of JIBWIS Nigeria, Abdullahi Bala Lau, said religious leaders had a responsibility to promote peace and reconciliation and ensure that their platforms were not used to deepen divisions.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, Cornelius Omonokhua, said the shared humanity of Nigerians should take precedence over religious differences.
He warned against attempts to weaponise religion and ethnicity, saying Christians and Muslims should work together to preserve peace.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, called for sustained dialogue between Christians and Muslims and urged adherents of both faiths to stop insulting one another.
“Christians should stop insulting Muslims. Muslims should stop insulting Christians. And that’s how we live in peace,” he said.
APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, also warned political leaders against exploiting religious and ethnic sentiments for electoral gains.
He urged religious leaders to make churches and mosques centres of peace, reconciliation and responsible citizenship, while calling on Nigerians to reject hate speech and misinformation.
“Religious differences do not have to produce human distances and separation because of our beliefs,” he said.
Yilwatda said political gains achieved through religious or ethnic manipulation could cause lasting damage to national unity.
The conference emphasised the need for political and religious leaders to work together to prevent hate-driven mobilisation and strengthen peaceful coexistence as Nigeria moves towards another competitive electoral cycle.
