Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has warned that Nigeria could not afford another civil war, hence the need for the political elite to speak up in the light of calls for the nation’s disintegration and the worsening insecurity.
Osinbajo stated this Tuesday night at an interactive section with Anambra state All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirants organised by the state chapter of APC Patriots.
The Vice President said the negative implications of the silence of the political elite on the spate of attacks in the South-East and other parts of the country had dire consequences on Nigerians’ national life.
The VP said: “The thing about the kind of conflict in this part of the world –developing countries, is that it is usually a war without end.
“Everyone who thinks they have some monies stored up somewhere will eventually run out of money.
“Everyone who thinks they can go and hide somewhere, won`t even find a place to hide. In the end, everyone will suffer.
“Even if you don’t suffer, your parents, children, young and old people and your relations will suffer. We cannot afford a war in this country, we can`t afford it.”
The Vice President cautioned that the more the political elite avoided to speak and address the situation, the more things would continue to slide, warning that failure to act now would be exposing the country’s future to danger.
He then prayed that the country would never know conflict.
“I pray that our country will never know conflict, but I know that every conflict is as a result of elite failure to speak up the truth and tell the truth to their communities,” Osinbajo said.
He said at the end of the day, it was the political elite that determined what happened in every society, adding that keeping quite could lead to a more dangerous situation.
The Vice President expressed optimism that the elite could make a great difference just by the words they spoke.
“If we don`t speak up against disunity, if we keep quiet and remain under the radar, the enemies of peace and those who want to promote disunity will have their ways. And when this happens, we will find ourselves running helter skelter,” Osinbajo said.
He, therefore, urged the political elite in the country to always speak up and stand for something in the interest of the country and the general public.
He maintained that keeping quiet spelt a great danger.
On the forthcoming APC Anambra governorship primary slated for June 26, the Vice President assured all the aspirants of a level playing field for the best aspirant to emerge as its candidate.
But he charged them to work in unity and support whoever emerged as the flagbearer of the party at the November 6 Governorship election in the state, while he charged the would-be candidate to avoid the winner-takes-all syndrome.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Anambra State APC Patriots, organisers of the Governorship Aspirants Interactive Session, Hon. Dozie Ikedife Jnr, said the interface was designed to bring all the aspirants together for an opportunity to interact with each other and other party stakeholders in an atmosphere of concord and camaraderie.
The Patriots appealed to the leadership of the party to ensure that the process for the June 26 primary ways free, fair and transparent with all the aspirants having a level playing ground.
Nine of the aspirants at the interactive session include: Sen. (Dr.) Emmanuel Andy Uba, Dr. George Nnadubem Moghalu, Dr. Chidozie Nwankwo, Engr. Johnbosco Onunkwo and Sir. Azuka Okwuosa.
Others were: Mr. Paul Izuchukwu Orajiaka, Chief Ben Etiaba Jnr, Col. Geoffrey Onyejegbu (rtd) and Comrade Maxwell Okoye.
