By Moses Nosike

Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila has called on Nigerians to unit for national development and peace. He also warned that citizens should not sacrifice our dear country at the altar of political indifference. “We need to come together as a nation, unified with a same purpose”.

This he said at the 2026 National Forum of Former Legislators Summit held in Abuja, where he spoke on the themed: National Unity and Nation Building Beyond 2031.

The summit was a gathering of former legislators to deliberate on ideas that can boost Nigeria’s growth, peace and national development.

Gbajabiamila who was the convener said, “This was set up to include all political parties. It’s not an APC, PDP, or ADC setups, it’s for all former legislators, irrespective of party, because what we need is a debate of ideas, and I believe there is no one single party that is a fountain of knowledge. It is when we come together in unity that we can agree on resolutions that will benefit Nigeria at a time when leadership across the world is being tested by unprecedented global shifts”.

According to him, “Nigeria would function properly if there is unity of purpose and commitment to a shared identity among citizens rather than being rivals that compete against each other”.

Continuing, Gbajabiamila said, “The National Forum of former legislators occupies a unique and vital place in our national life. It brings together individuals who have not merely observed the evaluation of our democracy, but have actively shaped it, often under difficult circumstances and of critical moments in our history, the institutional memory represented in this room is a national asset of immense value.

Therefore, it must not be allowed to fade or be marginalized. Instead, it must be deliberately honest to inform present choices and to illuminate future pathways as we continue the long and unfinished journey towards a more perfect union”.

He said, “The constitution of our Republic begins with a powerful promise. We call it the preamble, a powerful promise spoken in the name of every Nigerian. It says, We, the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, have been firmly and solemnly resolved to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign nation under God. In a world that increasingly rewards scale and strategic clarity, internal disunity weakens national capacity. A divided nation struggles to project strength, to negotiate effectively or to protect its interest, disunity erodes investor confidence, undermines economic planning, weakens security coordination and diverts like leadership attention away from the long and demanding work of development. For Nigeria to participate effectively in shaping the New World Order, we must first secure unity of purpose at home”.

We are fortunate that at this pivotal moment, Nigeria is led by a president who understands both the fragility and the strength of our diversity and who recognizes that national unity must never be sacrificed on the altar of narrow ambition or short term political gain under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our future will not be negotiated by those who exploit historical fault lines to sow division and resentment.

In addition, National Coordinator, NFFL, Mr. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe, said, “The essence of the summit is to brainstorm, reflect and engage in frank and constructive conversations on the unity, stability and future of our dear nation. We deemed it imperative to convey this strategic gathering in order to reaffirm our collective commitment to peaceful and harmonious coexistence as a fundamental pillar of stability and national progress”.

He said, “As a public interest group and peace advocates, we remain steadfast in our resolve to work toward the building of a peaceful, tolerant and inclusive society. We are all Nigerians, and we share in a collective responsibility to fix Nigeria. Reflecting on the theme of our summit, ‘National Unity and Nation Building Beyond 2031’ it will be recalled that following our northern dialog session summit, in the interest of unity, peace and national progress, the South should complete its eighth year tenure in office. In the same vein through our northern summit, we maintain that is also in the interest of the North that the incumbent president, President bola Tinubu, completes the tenor of the South. This position was anchored on the understanding that introducing another Southerner at this stage could amount to giving a blank check for tenor elongation, having boldly spoken about the necessity of completing the south tenure in 2027, we must also be courageous enough to talk about the future 2031 and beyond without any pretense”.