Elder statesman and founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Abubakar Tanko Yakasai, has dismissed claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, insisting that Christians and Muslims have coexisted peacefully for generations.
Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, the veteran
politician accused foreign media of inflaming religious tensions and criticised
U.S. President Donald Trump for comments suggesting targeted killings of
Christians in the country.
Yakasai, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s radical political
movement of the 1950s and 1960s and a former commissioner in Kano and special
assistant on National Assembly liaison to President Shehu Shagari, said
narratives of religious persecution were being exaggerated for political gain.
According to him, “I don’t agree there is Christian
genocide. Some Christians close to the United States of America took advantage
of their closeness to Donald Trump.
“Christians and Muslims have been living in peace with one
another; we are brothers and sisters. Few individuals went to America to talk
to Trump. Christians and Muslims are not living in separation.
“The majority of the people in the West, East and South are
Christians, but in the North and the Middle Belt, there are a substantial
number of Muslims. My parents were from the Middle Belt. For ages, long before
the British came, we lived together in peace.
“Those who converted to Christianity were what we called
pagans. The Muslims did not convert to Christianity, and that is why
Christianity is much stronger in the Middle Belt region. Interestingly, my
parents were from the Middle Belt.
“In every home, we have Christians and Muslims living
together in peace.”
He argued that Trump’s claims were influenced by a few
individuals with ties to the U.S., describing him as “an opportunist” seeking
relevance. Yakasai stressed that religious diversity long predates colonial
rule, particularly in the Middle Belt, where mixed-faith families remain
common.
On insecurity in the country, the elder statesman said the
problem is national but more pronounced in the North. He advocated for the
establishment of zonal police commands, noting that previous proposals for
regional policing should be revisited due to the overstretched capacity of the
Nigeria Police Force.
However, he rejected the idea of state police, warning that
it could be easily manipulated by politicians.
His words, “There was a move at one time that there should
be the establishment of a zonal police. This problem is not limited to one side
of the country; it is a national problem. There was a move at one time that
there should be six police establishments. I think the issue should be
revisited because it is a good idea because the number of the police force is
not enough to cover the whole country. There will be a zonal setup, and people
will know their area and locality. They will be in a better position to handle
the problems more effectively.
“State police”, he said, “are subject to manipulation by
individuals and political interests. At one time, there was a move for a zonal
police. If anybody was in favour of a zonal police, I would support it.”
Addressing perceptions of a rift between the North and
South, Yakasai said no such suspicion exists. He added that President Bola
Tinubu is likely to seek and possibly win a second term in 2027, given the
political and financial structures at his disposal.
He said, “Personally, I believe that in Nigeria’s politics
today, as has been the practice, President Tinubu will seek a second term and
is most likely to win because he has the resources to back his ambition. We are
practising democracy, and as such, democratic norms and conventions, as well as
our constitution, should be our guiding principle. 2027 is still about two
years away.”
Reflecting on Nigeria’s challenges, Yakasai said every
nation faces its own problems and that no single group or individual can be
solely blamed.
“Any country has its problems. You cannot single out an
individual or a group of people to make peace. The creation of God, built in
America, Russia, and China – all of them have problems. Wherever you have
people, human beings, you have problems. And it is the human beings who will
seek the help of God to overcome their problems,” he added.
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