Nigeria Can’t Afford Another Civil War, Osinbajo Warns

• Ooni, Sultan caution against secession calls
• Abaribe: govt creating room for disintegration

Nigeria cannot afford another civil war despite the increasing agitation and security challenges, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo warned on Wednesday.

He urged the political elite to rise up in defence of national unity and speak up against calls for disintegration.

The Vice President’s position was supported by two major traditional rulers – the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar.

The royal fathers cautioned against calls for secession by individuals and groups.

Also on Wednesday, former President Olusegun Obasanjo expressed optimism that the security challenge would end soon.

However, Senate Minority Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe said the Federal Government was pushing the country towards disintegration as a result of its “nepotism and sectionalism”.

Osinbajo, who spoke during a meeting with All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirants in Anambra State, said the silence of the elite on the spate of attacks in the Southeast and other parts of the country has grave implications.

At the session organised by Anambra APC patriots, led by Dozie Ikedife, the Vice President said Nigeria should avoid “a war without end.”

He warned: “Everyone who thinks they have some monies stored up somewhere, will eventually run out of money. Everyone who thinks they can go and hide somewhere, won`t even find a place to hide. In the end, everyone will suffer.

“Even if you don’t suffer, your parents, children, young and old people and your relations will suffer. We cannot afford a war in this country, we can`t afford it.”

The Vice President maintained that the failure of the elite to act now will expose the country to danger.

He said: “I pray that our country will never know conflict, but I know that every conflict is as a result of elite failure to speak up the truth and tell the truth to their communities.”

“If we don`t speak up against disunity, if we keep quiet and remain under the radar, the enemies of peace and those who want to promote disunity will have their way. And when this happens, we will find ourselves running helter shelter.”

Osinbajo spoke on the APC governorship primary slated for June 26, assuring aspirants of a level playing field.

He charged them to work in unity and support whoever emerged as the standard bearer for the November 6 election. He also urged the would-be candidate to avoid the winner-takes-all syndrome.

Ikedife said the interface was organised to bring the aspirants together to interact in an atmosphere of concord.

He appealed to the leadership of the party to ensure a free, fair and transparent shadow poll.