Yilwatda Reveals IDP Camp Experience, Sends Strong Warning To Politicians

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has recounted his experience as a displaced person during the Bauchi crisis, saying the ordeal taught him that violence affects people regardless of their religious or ethnic background.

According to Ireporter Online, Yilwatda made the disclosure on Tuesday at the International Conference on Security and National Unity organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah in collaboration with the Muslim World League.

Reflecting on his experience in an internally displaced persons’ camp, the APC chairman said the crisis helped him understand that Christians and Muslims could face the same fears, challenges and losses when violence erupts.

Yilwatda stressed that violence does not distinguish between religious groups, noting that it can destroy homes, dignity and livelihoods irrespective of a person’s faith.

He said Nigeria’s diversity should be treated as an asset capable of strengthening national unity rather than being exploited as a source of division.

The APC chairman warned political leaders against manipulating religion and ethnicity for electoral or political gains, arguing that temporary victories could result in long-term damage to the country.

He urged politicians to recognise that no political objective was worth deepening divisions or creating lasting conflict among Nigerians.

Yilwatda also called on religious leaders to use their positions to promote peace, reconciliation and responsible citizenship rather than hatred or division.

He encouraged clerics to promote religious teachings without inciting hostility, while urging traditional rulers to prioritise dialogue and reconciliation over retaliation.

The APC chairman further appealed to political leaders, religious authorities, traditional institutions and ordinary citizens to work collectively against hate speech and the targeting of vulnerable communities.

He maintained that Nigeria’s future depended on the ability of its citizens to recognise their shared humanity and reject attempts to use religion, ethnicity or other differences to promote violence.

Yilwatda urged Nigerians to build a society where people of different faiths and backgrounds can coexist peacefully, stressing that the country’s challenges require collective action rather than division.