Tribalism in Nigeria Elections 2019

We tag ourselves as liberal, progressive and woke, but we are just an imitation of the generation that raised us.

In 1914, Lord Lugard oversaw the amalgamation (merger) of the Northern and Southern protectorates which today is most of modern-day Nigeria.

Lord Lugard, the first Governor-General of Nigeria (Guardian) Lord Lugard, the first Governor-General of Nigeria (Guardian) Guardian Nigeria

It was not a union of consensus but a forced union of our colonial masters to ensure their business interests in the region ran smoothly. What this forced marriage did was to bind several indigenous nations and lump them together as one country.

Of course, this unnatural merger stoked the fires of tribalism. Nigeria was not created from the table of brotherhood. It was not borne out of love or unity but the selfish interest from the boys in Britain.

Unfortunately, Nigeria has been hounded by tribalism since 1960. The politics of our founding fathers were along tribal lines, the first two interventions of the military can be viewed through a tribalistic lens. And then the Biafran war...the saddest and most tragic thing that has ever happened as a nation.

A previous unilateral declaration of an independent republic of Biafra in 1967 sparked a bloody civil war that lasted 30 months AFP

The ghosts of Biafra have never been banished in Nigeria, and the demon of tribalism has been allowed to roam free. For years, parents have whispered bigotry to their children.

"Do not marry an Igbo man." "Igbo men can kill their mothers for money." "Yoruba people are cowards." "Yoruba women are prostitutes and don't stay in their husband's home." "The Hausas want to kill Southerners." "The Hausas want Nigeria to become an Islamic Republic."

These are common words you can hear in many Nigerian homes. The fear and hatred of tribes have lived on for decades with these words.

Even in humour, tribalism has seeped in through jokes and punchlines. Yoruba demon, the supposed cold heart of Igbo women, and the rumoured expertise of Calabar women in bed are all derivatives of Nigeria's tribalism culture.

We have tweeted all these as bants on Twitter and have composed songs that promote ethic sentiments.

In a more heated climate, like the elections that were just conducted, it can be clearly seen how we are not different from our fathers and mothers.

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Evil elements in our political structure have always played the tribal card during these times, and it is a shame that young Nigerians who should be wise to their gimmicks always fall for it.

During the elections, it was a shame to see young Nigerians spew ethnic hatred online. It was disgusting to see how we have descended so low to say disparaging things about people from other tribes. It's clear we just pay lip service to liberalism and wokeness. We are clear by-products of a tribalistic generation.

Nigerian youths should wake up and know that the battle for Nigeria is a battle of we versus them and not Igbos versus Yorubas or Hausas versus Igbos.

It is a battle of we the Nigerian people against the corrupt and incompetent political class. If we do not fight for Nigeria along this line then we would easily fall into the same pit that those before us fell into it.

Igbo people are not the enemy. Yoruba people are not the enemy. Fulani people, Hausa people, Itsekiri people, Ijaw people, Tiv people are not the enemies. The ruling elite and the political class are the enemies.

For decades they have used religion and tribalism to hold us back. It is textbook divide and conquer.

We have to see beyond tribe. We have to see beyond ethnicity. If young Nigerians cannot do this, then we are no better than the previous generations who allowed this country get to this point.

Can we do this or are we still going to play lip service to liberalism and wokeness?