December 17, 2025
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has attributed Nigeria’s growing disunity to the actions and ambitions of the country’s political elites.
Makinde made the assertion on Wednesday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book titled “Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration,” written by former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The governor warned that disunity among the political class continued to undermine national stability, cohesion and long-term development.
According to him, ordinary Nigerians across ethnic, religious and regional divides largely desire unity, but elite competition and personal ambition have continued to fuel division.
“My experience is that ordinary Nigerians already have a consensus that they want to be Nigerians. But we the elites are the ones dividing the country because of our ambition,” Makinde said.
He criticised the persistent exploitation of ethnic, religious and regional sentiments, describing it as a major driver of disunity and mistrust in the country.
Makinde called for an urgent “elite consensus” on Nigeria’s future, urging leaders across party lines to objectively identify current challenges and design solutions suitable for present realities.
“We need elite consensus on how to move forward,” he stressed.
The governor also advocated far-reaching political reforms as a pathway to addressing disunity and repositioning Nigeria for sustainable growth.
Although he is not a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Makinde said his presence at the event highlighted the importance of national conversations that transcend partisan interests.
He also reaffirmed that he had no intention of defecting to the APC.
Congratulating Lai Mohammed on the book, Makinde encouraged public office holders to document their experiences, noting that such records help preserve history and provide lessons for future generations.
“Our leaders should enrich our history by documenting how they saw events from their own perspectives. It gives future generations something to interrogate, critique and learn from,” he said.
Makinde recalled his political journey with late President Muhammadu Buhari, including their time as candidates of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the 2007 elections, noting that political alignments often evolve.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s federal structure, he said the country’s current challenges were different from those faced after the civil war, when national unity was the primary concern.
“The problems we are facing today are not the same problems they faced then. We must identify today’s challenges and design solutions that address them,” Makinde said.
Earlier, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, called for credible elections and constitutional reforms, warning that weak democratic processes could worsen disunity and instability.
Afolabi advocated decentralisation, stronger institutions, respect for the rule of law, an end to the winner-takes-all system and consideration of a single-term tenure for executive offices.
The book presentation drew political leaders, academics, media professionals and members of the public from across Nigeria.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news.
