Nigerians may vote along ethnic lines in 2023 – Falae

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, said on Monday Nigerians would likely cast their votes based on ethnic consideration in the 2023 presidential election.

Falae, who stated this in a chat with journalists in Akure, Ondo State, noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has failed to present itself as the government of the people.

He urged Nigerians to give priority attention to competence rather than ethnic or religious considerations when choosing the country’s next leaders in 2023.

Falae said: “This (ethnic agenda) is inevitable when you have a government that does not present itself as the government of the people. If a government presents itself to be a champion of a section of the people, naturally the other elements in the country will defend themselves and will have to take care of themselves.

“My view might sound simplistic that Nigeria is not a difficult country to govern because I have spent time in government. If we have a government or president who shows genuinely that he is for all Nigerians and shows that he cared for all Nigerians, they will worship him.

“For instance, Late Murtala (Muhammed) came in as a military Head of State and in six months we venerated him. He showed that he was not for the Hausa, Yoruba, or Fulani, but for Nigerians. That’s what we need, somebody that will know that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and very complex country.

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“Therefore, you cannot afford to be sectional; that is a recipe for chaos. We need a government that knows and acts in perception that Nigeria belongs to all of us and that if he doesn’t please all Nigerians, he is destroying the country.

“That is what Nigerians want, a fair-minded leader and it doesn’t matter where he comes from. After all, whoever becomes the president must come from a particular family, one particular tribe or town. What he needs to do is to know that there are other Nigerians who have equal claim to the Nigerian patrimony and if he acts accordingly, Nigerians will hail him.

“I pray that the terrorists will allow the election to take place. Some few days ago they burnt down the INEC office somewhere in the South-East. They have been doing that for a long time, so we hope the election will even be possible.”

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