'Nigeria Is An Inconvenient Amalgamation' - Adesina

The Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the president, Femi Adesina, said that Nigeria's division began as far back as 1914, during that country's amalgamation and that the country is an "inconvenient amalgamation."

Adesina stated this on a programme on Channels Television saying that the country had always been divided.

This comes on the back of comments from the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and playwright, Wole Soyinka, who averred that Nigeria was divided under the rule of Buhari.

In defence of the incumbent administration, Adesina said, “Nigeria had always been divided right from amalgamation in 1914. Nigeria is an inconvenient amalgamation, but we have kept at it, and we have worked at it,” Adesina said.

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“And I tell you that there is no time in the history of this country that the country was not divided. But then, we have kept at it and we are trying to make it work.

“As at 2015 when President Buhari came, Nigeria was terribly divided; divided along ethnic, religious and political lines; divided along language; divided hopelessly and terribly.

“That is the division that President Buhari has been working at. But you see that a number of people, instead of letting harmony return to this country, thrive and luxuriate in widening the gap between Nigerians. They play politics with everything,” he said.

“So, if they say Nigeria is divided today, it is because Nigeria has always been divided. And all efforts to unite Nigeria and Nigerians never worked.

“When Nigerians come to a decision point that we must live together, we can’t wish anybody away, then we will be working towards being a nation.”