Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has described regionalism as the source of Nigeria’s problems.
The former leader made the remark on Tuesday when the League of Northern Democrats” led by the former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, paid him a visit at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, OOPL, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
According to the former leader, it’s unfortunate that regionalism which former the major problem plaguing the country since independence is still being clamoured for by some Nigerians.
Obasanjo said the spirit of nationalism rather than regionalism should take hold among Nigerians, explaining that it doesn’t matter where any Nigerian hails from he/she must have the opportunity to rule the country.
He bemoaned a situation where the country had three regional leaders when the country gained independence in 1960, stressing that that was the root cause of the serious disunity in the country today.
The former president described the situation as a ‘mistake’ saying such must not be repeated.
“Maybe we have made mistakes in the past; maybe myself too has made mistakes in the past. But whatever may be our mistakes in the past, we do not want to repeat that mistakes. You said I am a believer in the greatness of this country, yes, I am,” he said.
Obasanjo said further, “I am also an incurable optimist in this country. I am totally committed to the goodness of this country. But I believe that if we look back and we want to be sincere with ourselves, we can see some of the mistakes of the past which we must not fall into again.
“So, anytime I hear North, West, East; I feel frightened and that is my honest opinion because one of the things that have led us into where we are today and we haven’t gone out of it is regionalism.
“At the time of our independence, we were probably the only country or one of the few countries in Africa that did not have one leader. At independence, we had three leaders.
“So, we attained independence with putting three countries in one and that remains part of our problems for a long, long time and it hasn’t completely left us.
“So, when you give the name of your league as Northern League of Democrats, my opinion was how I wish it has been National League of Democrats? But I will also say that you have to begin from somewhere.
“One of the things I always question myself about is, why should I be proud being a Yoruba man. I could as well been born in Sokoto. The fact that I was born in Yorubaland was not my making, it was God’s making because I could as well been born in Maiduguri and I will still be a Nigerian.
“I do not believe that where I was born should be the enemy of my Nigerianess. I believe and I feel that any sensible Nigerian will feel that way that I am increased by belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria than belonging to the Republic Oduduwa land.
“I am a Yoruba man and I’m proud to be a Yoruba man, but my being Nigerian should not be an enemy of my being a Yoruba man and neither should my being a Yoruba man being an enemy of my being a Nigerian.”
Recall that Nigeria, had three regional leaders in Chief Obafemi Awolowo (Western Region), Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sadauna of Sokoto( Northern region) and Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe (Eastern Region)
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