President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dismissed allegations of religious genocide in Nigeria, insisting that no faith is under siege in the country.
Speaking in Owerri, Imo State, at the unveiling of a book authored by Governor Hope Uzodimma to mark a decade of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in government, the President described such claims as “unfounded and misleading.”
He said Nigerians had, after 65 years of Independence, learned to appreciate religious and cultural diversity and to harness it for educational, economic, and social gains.
“Here, no faith is under siege, no community is excluded. Our churches, mosques, and traditional shrines stand side by side – not as rivals, but as symbols of the unity that binds us,” Tinubu told the audience at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Convention Centre.
“We must never allow outsiders to sow division among us. Nigeria will not accept lectures from those who seek to profit from our differences. Our duty is to protect every citizen and to prove that our diversity is our strength,” he added.
The President also commissioned several projects in the state, including the Owerri-Mbaise-Umuahia Road, the Assumpta Twin Flyover, and the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Convention Centre.
On the performance of the APC since 2015, Tinubu said the party had stabilised Nigeria under former President Muhammadu Buhari, while his own administration was laying the foundation for sustainable growth.
“APC may not be perfect, but we are purposeful. And we will not allow Nigeria to return to the wasted years of drift. We are not yet where we want to be, but we are no longer where we were,” he said.
Tinubu took a swipe at opposition parties, noting that those who “wasted sixteen years” in power had no moral ground to parade themselves as problem solvers.
Governor Uzodimma, who doubles as Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, said improved federal allocations had enabled states to embark on infrastructure projects, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended Tinubu’s policies on education and agriculture.
Dignitaries at the event included APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda; former chairmen Adams Oshiomhole and Abdullahi Ganduje; former Senate Presidents Anyim Pius Anyim and Ahmad Lawan; as well as traditional rulers, diplomats, student leaders, and market associations.
The book titled A Decade of Leadership in Nigeria was reviewed by Prof. Benett Chima Nwanguma.
