Dr Salihu Lukman, the Director-General, Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), has called for ethnic tolerance to foster peaceful co-existence and national unity.

Lukman, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, noted that the level of intolerance in the country on account of ethnic background was alarming.

He attributed the source of such intolerance on compromising issues of justice in virtually every part affecting every section of the country.

He said in the circumstance we found ourselves as a nation, we should begin to campaign that any political leader who overtly or covertly defended criminality must be regarded as either a criminal or one with intention to commit crime.

He wondered why any form of defense of criminality was allowed to dominate political debate and contest in the country.

Lukman noted that given that ethnic groups were being tagged as criminals, there was all manner of political mobilisation based on ethnic undertone.

This, he said, would create problems as we move towards 2023, adding that political parties should consider new approaches that should challenge political leaders to become leaders and champions of peaceful co-existence.

He, however, noted that with all the attacks against the All Progressives Congress (APC), it had the best potential of coming up with initiatives that could push political leaders to work for peaceful co-existence in the country.

According to Lukman, this is because apart from being a ruling party with the responsibility of providing political leadership, it is also a party that has committed itself to bringing about political change in the country.

“As a member of the APC, I am always proud to acknowledge the fact that our leaders don’t shy away from recognising problems,” he said.

He noted that in the current circumstance, recognising the problem should revive the commitment of political leaders for the unity of the country founded on peaceful co-existence based on justice.

He added that part of the advantage the APC presently had over other political parties was the fact that it is in the process of reconstituting its leadership at all levels.

Lukman advised that for the party to be able to exercise this advantage and gain the appeal of Nigerians, it should consider taking necessary steps to ensure that ethnic bullies and warlords were disqualified from emerging as leaders at all levels.

He further added that only candidates with proven commitments to peaceful existence as a nation should be qualified to hold party positions at all levels going forward.

The PGF DG, however, noted that this may not happen if meetings were not taking place through which positions of all groups and sections of the country could be considered.

“We must therefore appeal to our leaders to prioritise the need for meetings and ensure that when meetings hold honest and open debates take place.

“Without debating and taking all the necessary steps to produce leaders in our parties who are committed to the unity of the country founded on peaceful co-existence based on justice,

“it is almost predictable that candidates for elections would largely be ethnic bullies and warlords. Once candidates are ethnic bullies and warlords, political competition will continue to be characterised by violence,” he said.

He said there was need to appeal to political leaders to take steps required to move the country forward away from politics of ethnic hatred.

He further added that instead of hating each other, political leaders should take steps to begin to push to love each other.

Lukman stressed that the need to guarantee justice at all times, irrespective of who was affected was about the only route for peaceful co-existence in the country.

He added that once that was compromised, the foundation of our democracy would be eroded.

According to him, the burden facing our political leaders is to begin to take every necessary step to move our people and our nation from all parts of the country towards ensuring fairness in every part of the country.

He added that the basis of fairness must be such that to love ourselves, we must love others.

He stressed that political leaders should show love to themselves by ensuring fair conduct of all citizens as a basis for citizens’ love to leaders and the country. (NAN)