Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State has urged Nigerians to unite and draw strength from their diversity as the nation matches into 2023.
Fintiri gave the charge in a New Year message released Saturday evening by his Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou, saying everything is possible to a people with unity of purpose.
“We must shun those tendencies threatening our co-existence which is the cause of the nation’s woes,” he said, adding, “Whether it is the downturn in the economy or our security situation, the challenges are traceable to ourselves.”
Fintiri said the nation’s challenges are surmountable, and advised against creating an octopus that will continue to devour the collective heritage of the people.
He advised that the octopus embedded in what is traceable to intolerance among the diverse people of Nigeria must be pulled down for the nation to progress.
He noted that if all Nigerians accept one another as one, the electoral process in 2023 would be peaceful, and urged politicians to pursue issue-based campaigns instead of a tendency towards winning at all costs.
Specifically addressing Adamawa people, Governor Fintiri asked them not to give in to “naysayers and sceptics”, and promised to continue to change narratives and ensure that he leaves Adamawa “more united, more sovereign and more democratic”.
Congratulating the people for witnessing the end of the year and the beginning of another year, Governor Fintiri challenged them to start by defining for themselves the kind of future that they want and contribute positively towards achieving it.