Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday urged politicians to shun sectional and tribal politics, saying the country would achieve the desired growth and development if citizen see themselves first as Nigerians.
Obasanjo said Nigeria remained stymied in its march to true nationhood and progress by ethnic and sectional politics.
The ex-chairman, Board of Trustees(BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, when the family of one of Nigeria’s foremost politicians, the late Adegoke Adelabu of the famed “Pekelemesi”, visited him at his residence.
The family was in Abeokuta to solicit the former President’s support towards the post-humorous centenary birthday anniversary of their departed father, who was a member of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), led by the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe.
The delegation was led by an Ibadan High Chief and a former broadcaster, Aare Tunde Alabi.
The late Adelabu, who was the first minister of Social Services and National Resources, was born September 3,1915 and died in a car crash in 1958. He was 43 years.
Obasanjo described the late Adegoke as a “ phenomenon” and a detribalised politician.
Obasanjo said: “He (Adelabu) was a reality, he was a phenomenon, he was uniquely Yoruba, uniquely Nigerian, uniquely African and uniquely a member of the human race.
“Today, we are still struggling to reach the pinnacle or what you may call pedestal of Adelabu in politics of not being swayed by linguistic, ethnic, tribal, regional or sectional politics. He was years ahead of his contemporary politicians.
“In his life time, he was talking about a United States of West Africa, ECOWAS came many years after his demise, in his life time; he belonged to a political party that had its base outside the Western region where he came from.
“He was not a tribal baron, he was a national politician and so when you asked me to be a patron of Adelabu post-humorous centenary birthday celebration and foundation, I have no reason to say no; I have no reason to say no because I share what Adelabu stood for.
“I have no reasons to say ‘no’ because, I share what Adelabu stood for. I share Adelabu’s philosophy of a united Nigeria and belief. I share Adelabu’s view of politics beyond ethnicity, beyond tribe, beyond region and I believe that in our national life, we should extol the virtues like those ones we saw in Adelabu.
“A man of the people, down to earth, absolutely down to earth and yet, a man who believed that his politics must be above ethnicity, must be above tribe, must be to unite the country while, of course, uplifting his own people.
“On behalf of the family who asked me to accept this and having accepted this, I will do my utmost best to contribute in making that day you have chosen to celebrate the birthday a success and to use it to remind those who may like to forget that there was, even before independent, men and Nigerians like Adelabu, who believed in the unity of this country, who lived for it and indeed died for it.
“What you are proposing to do, I believe Adelabu deserved it in every facet. Today, we are still struggling to reach the pinnacle or the pedestal Adelabu reached in politics, of not being swayed by linguistic, ethnic, tribal, regional, sectional consideration but by what is best for Nigeria.”
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