…By Larry John for TDPel Media. The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, has expressed concern over the just-concluded 2023 elections, noting that Nigeria and other nations cannot attain their developmental aspirations when the elites are divided.
Runsewe made this observation during a programme themed ‘Culture, Peace and National Rebirth: An Agenda Setting’, held in Abuja.
The NCAC boss criticized some of the events that occurred during the 2023 general elections, noting that Nigerian elites were divided along sentimental cleavages of religion and ethnicity.
Runsewe charged Nigerians not to allow the election outcome to create disunity among them, noting that the country had never been more polarised along primordial and parochial lines than in the 2023 general elections.
He further noted that the tension, bitterness, resentment, and acrimonies during the electioneering campaigns further fueled the embers of distrust and disunity among Nigerians.
Meanwhile, a former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has urged youths who are supporters of various political parties to desist from social media fights as it will not influence the outcome of the election petition tribunal.
He advised netizens to embrace peace instead for the good of the country.
Omokri argued that the only hope for a change in who the next president will be is in court.
Omokri noted that the election brought about different factions, such as Obidients and BATists, but now that the election has ended, everyone must return to their original identity as Nigerians.
He called for Nigerians to chart a course of action that would benefit the country.
He wrote, “Realize and accept that elections are over. The only hope for a change in who the next President will be is the courts.”
The concern expressed by Runsewe and Omokri’s admonition are significant in light of the increasing level of political polarization in Nigeria.
The country has seen a rise in ethnic and religious divisions, which have continued to impede progress and development.
It is important that Nigerians prioritize the nation’s unity and work towards building a more cohesive society.
The call for peace and unity should not be limited to election periods but should be a continuous effort towards nation-building.