Tambuwal warns Buhari against politics of exclusion

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has warned the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration against playing politics of exclusion, saying it was dangerous for Nigeria’s corporate existence.

Tambuwal, who spoke during the national flag-off of “Project 20 million”, a masses-driven and grassroots mobilization initiative, in Abuja yesterday, said such exclusion would only drive moderate voices underground while creating a platform for hardliners.

Represented by his Special Adviser on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises SMEs, Akibu Dalhatu, the governor also lamented the growing culture of impunity in the country and the erosion of fundamental freedoms, saying the rule of law and due process were now observed in the breach. To deepen democracy, he suggested the inclusion of citizens in governance, adding that Nigerians must be part of the budget making process in order to be able to monitor how appropriated funds were disbursed.

He said: “What deeply worries me is the sustained cries of exclusion in the governance of our country by some sections of our country. And this has been going on for many years without any conscious or deliberate effort to assuage their feelings.

“When people feel excluded and those who are supposed to address their concerns continue to treat them with contempt, certain forces alien to democracy and national unity may rise up in those areas and take firm control. Moderate voices would be driven underground. This is a dangerous development for our country.

“We must join forces to prevail on those in charge of Federal Authority to change their approach. They must engage sections of the country who feel excluded from governance. The country belongs to all of us. When elections are over, you must unify all Nigerians and proceed to deliver dividends of democracy.

“The nation is yet to develop a framework for effective engagement of the citizenry in governance. This must never be done on an adhoc basis. In the development of government policies, we must factor in citizen participation. Their input gives legitimacy to whatever we are doing.