2027: Nigeria bigger than APC, ADC, NDC, others – Jonathan

“A nation is never rescued by its government alone; it is also sustained by the conscience of its people,” he said.

In his remarks, former Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje who called on Nigerians to embrace their diversity and develop a stronger sense of national identity, warned  that ethnic politics continued to undermine nation-building, just as he traced Nigeria’s complex national integration challenges to its colonial history but acknowledged the contributions of First Republic politicians to the struggle for independence.

The immediate past national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress who  also criticised the lack of continuity between successive administrations, saying  political friction between incumbent governors and their predecessors often led to the abandonment of projects and programmes,  said such practices undermined sustainable development, stressing that continuity was necessary for consolidation and long-term progress.

He faulted the weak ideological foundations of Nigerian political parties, saying  that politicians frequently defected in pursuit of personal interests rather than shared values.

“We must, however, appreciate our First Republic politicians, who developed a sense of nationalism and worked to secure independence. They succeeded in achieving independence through political pressure.

“Unfortunately, after Nigeria’s Independence, some of those leaders who had demonstrated a nationalistic outlook became tribalistic in their attitudes, as political parties were largely organised along ethnic lines.

“It is, therefore, our responsibility, as time progresses, to come together, believe in Nigeria and turn our diversity into an asset rather than a liability,” he said.

Ganduje who noted that deputy governors should be recognised for their contributions to governance rather than treated as mere substitutes for governors,  said, “What is the issue between a governor who has left office and a new governor who has taken over? We often find friction between them, sometimes even when they belong to the same political party. The situation can be worse when they belong to different parties.

“This friction denies us continuity in governance. A governor may have completed some projects while others are still ongoing. When a new governor comes into office, the previous administration’s projects and programmes may be abandoned or reversed. There is, therefore, no continuity.”

On his part, former Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa who noted that  the growing disconnect between government policies and citizens’ everyday experiences had weakened public trust,  said that nation-building depended on a social contract anchored on accountability, inclusion and shared responsibility, adding that citizens had increasingly felt alienated because their expectations and aspirations were not being adequately met.