The Executive Chairman of Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State and Allied People’s Movement (APM) House of Representatives candidate, Engr. Akeem Olatunji, has warned politicians against using religion and ethnicity to cause division ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Olatunji said Oluyole residents would not allow political desperation to destroy the unity and peaceful coexistence among Christians, Muslims and adherents of other faiths in the local government.
He gave the warning while speaking on the need for peaceful coexistence and responsible political engagement ahead of the 2027 elections.
The council boss said Nigerians must resist attempts by politicians to exploit religious and ethnic sentiments for electoral gains, stressing that Nigeria’s diversity should be a source of strength rather than a weapon for political mobilisation.
He warned that anyone who allows himself or herself to be used to destabilise the existing peace among the various religious communities in Oluyole would be held responsible for the consequences of such actions.
Olatunji said political campaigns should focus on leadership, competence, character, development records and practical programmes capable of improving the lives of Nigerians.
He said: “As we approach 2027, we must be very careful about the kind of messages we put out to our people. We cannot allow politics of religion to truncate the unity and peaceful coexistence that bind us together as a people.
“We are all Nigerians before we are members of any political party or adherents of any religion. We must therefore refuse to allow politicians to use religion to set us against one another.
“Elections will come and go, but the relationships we have built as neighbours, friends, brothers and sisters will remain. We must not sacrifice our peace and unity on the altar of political ambition.”
The chairman also warned those fanning the embers of disunity to reconsider the consequences of their actions, noting that divisive political rhetoric could extend beyond politics and damage relationships within families and communities.
According to him, good governance has no religious boundary, as roads, schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure benefit citizens irrespective of their faith or ethnic background.
“Leadership requires being visionary and proactive. A good road constructed, schools, hospitals and other social amenities provided by a good leader will not be limited to any particular religious adherents on account of who provided them.
“We are better and stronger together in unity than divided along ethnicity and religion or other inconsequential matters that have no correlation with leadership and good governance, and together we can achieve more,” he said.
Olatunji urged religious leaders, traditional rulers, community leaders, political actors and the media to play responsible roles in ensuring that campaigns for the 2027 elections did not degenerate into religious or ethnic confrontation.
He also called on political parties and candidates to sell their programmes, policies and achievements to voters instead of exploiting fears, prejudices and religious sentiments.
The council boss particularly advised Nigerian youths not to allow themselves to be used as political tools to inflame religious or ethnic tensions.
He urged them to demand accountability and assess candidates based on their competence, integrity, experience and capacity to deliver good governance.
Olatunji said residents of Oluyole had demonstrated over the years that peaceful coexistence was possible despite differences in religion, ethnicity and political affiliation.
He appealed to residents to reject hate speech, inflammatory statements, misinformation and other divisive rhetoric as political activities gather momentum ahead of 2027.
He stressed that no political victory was worth the destruction of communal peace, adding that politicians seeking elective offices should see their responsibility as one of uniting and serving the people rather than deepening existing divisions for political advantage.
