Uhuru Kenyatta urges the government to work with the opposition

Working with the opposition is not a sign of weakness; Former President Uhuru Kenyatta tells African Presidents.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday graced the 2023 Presidential Inauguration Lecture held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, Nigeria.

In his keynote address at the event themed Deepening Democracy For Development, Uhuru pointed out the importance of democracy in spurring development in any country, especially in the African Continent.

The Former President shared his experience as a head of state for two terms, where he acknowledged the successes, failures, and opportunities of embracing democracy.

He articulated the importance of getting to the root causes of conflict within the continent and our African countries for the continent’s development.

The former President further pointed out the three most fundamental issues weaponized to the detriment of our democratic growth as ethnicity, tribalism, and economic greed.

” I feel the three most fundamental issues that are easily weaponized to the detriment of our democratic growth. The first is negative ethnicity or tribalism, followed by religion, and lastly, economic greed,” Kenyatta said.

Speaking at the event, Uhuru advised President-elect, Bola Tinubu to ensure his administration builds a prosperous and united Nigeria.

He stressed that as the President, Tinubu must lead and unite all citizens, regardless of whether or not they supported him during the election process.

The former president also encouraged Tinubu to surround himself with voices that challenge his own and to reach out to those who may feel aggrieved in order to build a stronger nation together.

He highlighted the importance of overcoming negative ethnicity, religious discrimination, and corruption, and expressed his hope that Nigeria would emerge from this transition ready to take on the world stage.

Overall, Kenyatta’s speech was a call for unity and progress, and a reminder that while elections may divide us, leadership must bring us together.

He said: “The contest is now over. And the hard work of building a prosperous and unified Nigeria now begins.

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“Upon assuming the office of president you would be wise to transcend from the tactical politics of an election and assume your role as Nigeria’s vision bearer. This will demand a complete overhaul of the adversarial mindset that we as politicians are conditioned to embrace during the electoral process.

“As President, you must learn very quickly to lead those who do not love you and those who love you with equal passion and commitment because you are now the father of all.

“I encourage you, to surround yourself with the voices of those who will counterbalance the hardliners that feel entitled to a piece of your office, you will lose nothing and gain everything by reaching out across the political, ethnic, and religious lines.

“To those who may feel aggrieved by your victory in one way or another, please allow them to exhale and be part of your vision for a greater Nigeria.

“It is my hope and my prayer that the lessons from across the continent will give you the resolve to walk the difficult path of overcoming those three enemies.

“I started by mentioning the three enemies of nationhood negative ethnicity, religious discrimination, and corruption. As your fellow African, I look forward to a Nigeria that emerges from this transition, ready to flex and fight for its rightful place on the global stage with both hands at the ready.”

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