Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, says the country has become more divided than ever due to the presidential election.
OduNews reports that the former governor of the central bank, Mohammed Sanusi, has made a similar comment stating that the country is more divided than it was during the civil war.
He advocated national reconciliation in order to enhance the healing needed for national peace and cohesion.
Obasanjo said this on Thursday at the Yaradua Centre in Abuja during a book presentation, ‘The Unending Quest For Reform: An Intellectual Memoir’ authored by Dr Tunji Olaopa.
The buildup to the 2023 presidential election has seen a sharp increase in divisive rhetoric premised on tribal and religious sentiments.
The ruling All Progressives Congress stirred widespread controversy over its decision to present a presidential and vice=presidential candidate of the same faith. The Muslim Muslim ticket was met with widespread criticisms from the Christian community and other Nigerians.
The presidential candidate of the Labour party, Peter Obi, has also been accused of stroking religious and ethnic tensions through the manner of his campaign leading to the election.
A viral audio clip alleged to be a conversation between Obi and Bishop David Oyedepo has also stamped concerns raised by some quarters that the former Anambra governor based his campaign on religious sentiments.
Peter Obi has since distanced himself from the audio clip claiming it is not genuine.
