Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, vice president, has denounced instances of voter suppression that occurred during the most recent elections in some areas of the nation.
The Vice President said it was wrong to deny Nigerians their constitutional right to vote and expressed disapproval of political actors who preyed on public angst.
He argued that in the struggle for control, the nation’s ruling class must avoid playing with stereotypes that alienate or divide any group of people.
According to a statement by his media assistant, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo made this claim at the inaugural Policy Making and Good Governance Lecture Series of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State.
In order to create a new Nigeria with justice, equity, and shared prosperity, he noted that the elites should act with a high sense of responsibility.
He argued that proactive measures must be taken to address ethnic profiling and prejudices before they have an impact on political campaigns.
In his speech, Osinbajo said
“These elections saw the exploitation of the public’s concerns and anxieties about ‘outsiders’ by political actors. In the strongest terms possible, I condemn any attempts to deny people the right to vote in any community on the grounds that they don’t belong there,” he said.
The vice president added that “we are confronted with a lethal potentially destructive situation” when racial or religious prejudices are used as a political tool.
He continued, saying that “historically aware and patriotic elites all recognise that there are limits to what the letter of the law asserts in the pursuit of political power.
One of these strategies is the deliberate invocation of ethnic hostilities and the exploitation of sectional sentiments in order to energise a political constituency. It is risky because it is an attempt to mobilise by inciting hatred and division.
The Vice President said in a speech that also discussed the future of creating a new Nigeria that “the most prosperous places are countries that have learned to harness diversity while building ever more inclusive institutions.”
He stated that “the majority of legal codes, including our own Constitution, expressly condemn discrimination against people on the basis of their identity.”
A generation that is much more accustomed to political mobilisation on the basis of identity perceives a tension between this new Nigeria and the old Nigeria. However, we need to elevate and legitimise the Nigeria that our youth are consciously or unconsciously constructing. The future we want is this one.
He said, “Let us never forget that although we may speak different languages, belong to different tribes, and profess diverse creeds; we are bound, above all else, by the language of a shared hope, by our common humanity as Nigerians, and a supreme faith in the possibility of our country.”
The vice president continued by denouncing all forms of prejudice, saying that “if we are truly committed to economic growth, then we must also be committed to creating inclusive communities and enhancing social cohesion. Or to put it another way, poverty is the only thing that thrives in an environment of tribalism. Justice, healing, and a stronger commitment to the principles of integration are crucial because of this.
Prof. Osinbajo continued by saying that “where the forces of primordial division and polarisation are harnessed for the purpose of electoral gain, the venom of such devices remains and continues to poison communal relations, setting neighbour against neighbour. In nations like Rwanda, we have seen the disastrous effects of making prejudice a political weapon.
In order to prevent the fabric of our communities from being torn apart, Prof. Osinbajo, who emphasised the importance of political elites, said that they “have a responsibility to discipline themselves in the pursuit of their political ambitions and exercise of power.”
“When elites don’t compete in an ethical and reasonable manner, they encourage the idea that anything goes, which leads to instability. This dynamic has repeatedly played out throughout our history. Our democracy is in danger from a competitive model that has no regard for moral bounds or restrictions. Politicians have a responsibility to conduct themselves and their campaigns ethically.
The Vice President urged Nigerians to take lessons from the approximately a million-person Rwandan genocide, and he also mentioned the lives lost in Nigeria’s civil war, which he said was fueled by prejudice, what he called the “exploitation of prejudice and the incitement of hatred against ethnic communities.”
He claimed, “We talk about the civil war, but we seem to ignore the fact that it was the exploitation of ethnoreligious sentiment that ultimately boiled over into that tragedy. We pay the price of that healing process every day because the demons freed by that brutal battle between brothers have not yet been completely contained. We shouldn’t ever allow this part of our history to happen again.
Prof. Osinbajo emphasised the necessity of inclusion and unity across tribes and political divides, saying that the nation’s elites and citizens must act quickly to prevent the tragedies fueled by prejudice and bigotry.
The VP noted that “the Rwandese took deliberate steps to ensure that that tragedy would never be repeated, including even a memorial to the dead,” and suggested the implementation of laws to protect society from the harmful manipulation of ethnic sentiments.
“But more importantly, a slew of laws that criminalise divisive attitudes and behaviours, as well as the strict enforcement of laws against the use of ethnically or religiously charged rhetoric. We must also put in the difficult work of developing and implementing a system for dealing with one another in a way that is just, fair, and unifying.
Additionally, he noted that “during elections, people do not all of a sudden start to hate one another.
“Ethnic or sectarian animosities may be stoked by political actors during an election, but these social and cultural tensions do exist and are present. We must take into account the prevalence of ethnic profiling and other types of everyday discrimination as we consider the lessons learned from this election cycle moving forwards.
Prof. Osinbajo emphasised the distinctiveness of Nigeria and said that the nation’s diversity should be used for good rather than for selfish or political ends.
The fact that sociocultural diversity exists and is neither a strength nor a weakness is acknowledged. The most prosperous nations are those that have mastered utilising diversity while constructing institutions that are even more inclusive.
“I think that despite her diversity, Nigeria is neither exceptional nor unique. I strongly disagree with the body of academic work and public discourse that criticises our nation’s diversity of ethnicities and religions as a serious flaw. Our diversity is actually a blessing and an asset, not a liability or a curse, he said.
After saying that “inclusion is essential to prosperity,” Professor Osinbajo called for a society that is fair, just, and inclusive.
“So, is it possible to overcome discrimination based on race or religion and create a cohesive country? Yes, it is, but it’s a journey, not a finish line, and it’s possibly the most crucial aspect of nation-building, he emphasised.
The vice president cited nations like Singapore, Tanzania, and Rwanda as examples of how they dealt with and overcame national prejudices, pointing out that Nigeria can do the same to address the underlying issues caused by all types of prejudice in our society.
He claimed that “in all the nations that have been comparatively successful in the journey to overcoming prejudice, leadership has been critical. He focused in particular on how these nations’ elites behaved.
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“The elites of both nations understood the need to actively prioritise and pursue cohesion and peaceful coexistence. The challenge of leadership in our nation is this. In order to prevent the fabric of our communities from being torn apart, elites have a duty to exercise self-control in the pursuit of their political goals and the use of their power.
“We must acknowledge that everything will be lost if partisan politics is sacrificed on the altar of peaceful coexistence.”
The Vice President said, when discussing the connection between a nation’s diversity and shared prosperity, “in the 21st century, the true wealth of nations is human capital.
This indicates that places that have figured out how to draw in and keep the broadest range of highly qualified workers are clearly ahead in the competition for success.
Diversity “also provides a broad range of cultural, philosophical, and intellectual approaches for solving problems,” according to Prof. Osinbajo.
“How well a state can attract quality capital will determine how likely it is to grow, and the more wealthy the human capital pool at a state’s disposal, the more taxes a state can raise to pay for governance and social services. The politics of tribalism and division in this situation will only alienate the human capital that a state sorely needs for development.
The Vice President offered suggestions and said that advancing the nation required fairness and justice.
In addition to urging the political establishment to promote unity, the vice president urged the media and civil society to exercise caution when projecting particular narratives.
“Civil society as a whole, including and perhaps especially the media, must shoulder this burden. The media is accountable on two fronts. “It has to be extremely aware of what sort of narratives it is projecting and how it frames disputes, especially in our multicultural and heterogeneous contexts,” he said. “As an institution that is uniquely influential in shaping public perceptions and attitudes.
To support his claim, Prof. Osinbajo mentioned the surgery performed on his right femur in a Nigerian hospital in July 2022.
He said: “On July 16, 2022, I underwent surgery at a hospital in Lagos on my right femur. Naturally, I had the thought that I would be completely at the mercy of the surgeons, the paramedics, and the anesthesiologist as I lay on the operating table and prepared to be put under anaesthesia. I had to put my life in their hands.
“Some were Muslims, some were Christians, and one was from the South East. The team leader was from Delta State. One, I believe, may not have even believed in God. It didn’t seem to matter, though. The experts, they were.
“We somehow manage to ignore tribal or religious prejudices when we make the choices that have the biggest impacts on our lives and the lives of our children. To build the country of our dreams, we must always adopt this mentality, he said.
Prof. Osinbajo responded to enquiries from participants during the interactive session with the NIPSS faculty and course participants. Participants asked him about preventing racial and religious prejudice, maintaining continuity in policy, and the necessity of creating a new Nigeria, among other things.
In separate remarks, the governor of Plateau State, Hon. Simon Lalong, and the HRM of Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Gyang Buba, thanked the vice president for his commitment to and interest in raising academic standards at the National Institute, noting that the organisation has expanded significantly since he assumed office as VP.
The inaugural Policy Making and Good Governance Lecture Series is just one of the many innovations the institute has implemented as a result of Prof. Osinbajo’s inspiring leadership and practical advice, according to Prof. Ayo Omotayo, Director General of NIPSS.
He gave the Vice President reassurance that management would always uphold the high standards set forth for them, particularly in making the institute the premier think tank in Nigeria and all of Africa.
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Following the lecture, the Vice President officially opened the newly constructed accommodations for Nigeria Army participants at the Institute along with other dignitaries.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, the Deputy Governor of Plateau, Prof. Sonni Tyoden, the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon. Yakubu Sanda, and the General Officer Commanding, 3 Armoured Division, Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim, who represented the Chief of Defence Staff, were also in attendance.
