By Abdulrahman Yunusa
Entire my life, I have never seen Nigeria more divided than this time under President Muhammadu Buhari. Even those who share the same geographical location, history and ancestral background at some point are fighting each other today.
To be precise, the current tussle between Hausa and Fulani disturbs my psyche. Who really curses us? Are we used to such trivialities before, or just by accident, we found ourselves in this predicament overnight?
How can we convince the upcoming generation that the North used to be peaceful, where the inhabitants peacefully mingle with each other irrespective of tribal affiliation or identity? After all, the gleaming narratives have been bitterly coloured into ugly ones.
Perhaps, the crisis of identity was a thing of obscure in the North in those days. Nevertheless, for over several decades, the ethnics group have been romancing each other as if they were of the same origin, although they are to some degree. Hence they even succeeded in burying the ethnic difference by making social unions among themselves.
Sadly, today we are talking about another issue. Things have changed over time. We bow down and take a different dimension which goes in contrary to that of our great-grandfathers. The rising hostility is out this world today among the major ethnic groups in the North.
Honestly, this man may be the worst leader Nigeria has ever had. His advent into the corridor of power is a curse to the then two harmonious ethnic groups, who are fighting each other fiercely under the curtain of politics and other politically related issues.
It’s unbecoming for the conflictual parties to shun the history of their peaceful relation to some cheap matters that don’t worth their attention, let alone consuming their long, everlasting, and marvellous cordial relationship. However, attached to any upheaval, there is a lesson to learn for the future.
On a lighter note, I sense some suspicious plan meant and orchestrated by some intruders to get this everlasting combo broken down. Sadly, soon chicken will come back home to roast. The invisible hands igniting the fire of hatred among the interrelated parties would bury their face in shame.
North would never be divided, in sha Allah. May North and Nigeria proper, amin.
Abdulrahman Yunusa is a political and social affairs analyst. He writes from Bauchi and can be reached via abdulrahmanyunusa10@gmail.com.