The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof.
Nentawe Yilwatda, has urged Nigerians to move beyond religious politics, especially in Northern Nigeria, saying true leadership should be guided by inclusiveness and service, not faith identity.
Speaking on the legacy of the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Prof. Yilwatda recalled a personal account that underscored the Sardauna’s commitment to merit and unity.
“I know someone from my village whom Ahmadu Bello Sardauna took abroad to study and then brought back and placed in the police to become the first officer with a degree.Sardauna knew he was a Christian,” Yilwatda said.
He questioned why religious divisions have become central to political discourse in the North in recent times, stressing that such narratives contradict the values upon which the region was built.
“I don’t know why people focus on the politics of religion in the North in this era,” he added.
According to the APC chairman, aspiring leaders in the region must draw lessons from the Sardauna’s leadership style, which emphasized fairness, opportunity, and unity across religious and ethnic lines.
“For me, if you want to become a leader in the North, you have to follow in the footsteps of what our leader, our father, Sardauna, did in the North,” he said.
Yilwatda’s remarks come amid renewed debates over religion and politics in Nigeria, with calls from stakeholders for leaders to prioritize national cohesion, merit, and inclusive governance over divisive identity politics.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
