Yan Nigeria
The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Ajibola Basiru, has said President Bola Tinubu will not take sides in the ongoing crisis in Benue State, insisting that the President remains committed to peace and unity above regional interests.
Speaking on The Morning Brief, a programme on Channels Television on Friday, Basiru stated that Tinubu’s approach to the conflict was guided by national interest rather than political or ethnic bias.
Basiru said, “As a statesman, you don’t expect the president to be taking sides with anybody in the conflict.
“He is supposed to have a dispassionate consideration of the issue and then be able to charge the various state actors to address the various challenges.”
Naija News reports that Basiru, a former Senate spokesperson, cautioned critics against politicising Tinubu’s June 18, 2025, visit to Benue, where he met with stakeholders following the Yelwata massacre that claimed over 200 lives.
He described the visit as “an avenue for inclusive dialogue,” noting that the President gave traditional leaders the opportunity to voice the concerns of their people.
“The fact that the president gave an opportunity to Tor Tiv to give the address, which commentators now say resonates with the concerns of the moment, validates the fact that a platform was created to air multiple perspectives,” he added.
Addressing claims that Tinubu’s actions may favour a particular ethnic bloc in the region, Basiru reaffirmed the President’s commitment to unity.
“As to people who try to create division in Nigeria by saying the president pandered to northern or southern elements — as far as we are concerned, the president is a Nigerian; he is a detribalised Nigerian,” he said.
Basiru stressed that the President’s concern is focused on the protection of lives and property, especially in a region grappling with armed herdsmen attacks, displacement, and food insecurity.
“Of course, in his preference, the lives of the people are more precious than the issue of property which cows signify,” he added.
The post Benue Crisis: Tinubu Won’t Take Sides, Says APC Scribe appeared first on Naija News.
