Peacebuilding groups in Kaduna State have urged political actors, religious and community leaders, and residents to exercise restraint and promote unity amid the recent public discourse surrounding comments by the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), and historical grievances linked to the administration of former governor of the state, Nasir El-Rufai.
The groups also cautioned citizens against allowing political statements and disagreements among leaders to degenerate into ethnic, religious or sectarian tensions at the grassroots.
The call was contained in a joint statement issued on Monday and signed by Ibrahima Yakubu and Samson Auta on behalf of the peace organisations.
The groups expressed concern over recent exchanges, media commentaries and public debates surrounding comments made by Musa and historical grievances linked to the administration of El-Rufai.
They acknowledged that robust democratic discourse, freedom of expression and the airing of historical and governance perspectives were essential components of democracy, but warned that high-level political exchanges could inadvertently reopen ethnic, religious and sectarian fault lines in the state.
According to them, Kaduna State had paid an immeasurable price for past divisions and should instead channel its collective energy towards healing, reconciliation and sustainable peace.
The groups urged citizens across ethnic, religious and regional divides not to allow political statements or leadership disagreements to translate into animosity at the grassroots.
They said the shared aspirations of the people for peace, security and economic prosperity should outweigh political and personal differences.
The organisations also called for historical grievances to be addressed through institutional frameworks, empathy and constructive engagement rather than the exploitation of existing differences.
They urged community, youth and religious leaders to promote restraint and guide public conversations towards mutual understanding.
The groups further encouraged stakeholders to support community-level peacebuilding mechanisms, Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) frameworks, as well as interfaith initiatives aimed at strengthening social cohesion across the state.
They called on political actors, faith leaders, elder statesmen and public figures to recognise the influence of their words in a multi-ethnic society, urging leaders at all levels to model unity, moderate inflammatory rhetoric and focus on collaborative nation-building.
The organisations also acknowledged what they described as steps being taken by the administration of Governor Uba Sani, as well as other organisations and individuals, to promote inclusion, bridge old gaps and restore civic trust across the state.
They urged stakeholders to rally behind community-level peacebuilding initiatives and other mechanisms designed to strengthen peaceful coexistence.
The groups stressed that Kaduna State belonged to all its indigenous populations, adding that its strength lay in its diversity, resilience and capacity to live together as one people.
They therefore called on residents to reject attempts to divide the state along political, ethnic or religious lines and work collectively towards a stable, prosperous and united Kaduna State and a stronger Nigeria.
