Former President GoodLuck Jonathan, has enjoined Nigerian politicians to embrace the kind of political inclusion practiced by the Pioneer National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Solomon Lar.
Jonathan gave the advice in his remarks during the public presentation of a book: "Chronicles Of The Rainbow" and the lunch of Solomon and Mary Lar Leadership Institute, in Abuja, on Thursday.
He said, "As we head towards 2023 general elections, I will urge that we all, as critical stakeholders, whether as candidates or voters, embrace the principle of Chief Solomon Lar's politics of inclusion, bridge-building, unity and accommodation.
"If we had continued in thesame political trajectory promoted by the likes of Chief Lar in the Second and Third Republics, our country would have been better off in terms of our unity, peace and pace of development.
"Chief Lar offered love in the place of bitter and divisive politicking, built bridges to cement the cracks in our unity and showed courage in the face of injustice and military dictatorship."
He said further, "I always like to cite the fact that Chief Lar was the only Governor from the North who contested and won election under the platform of Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP), a party that had the South as its strong hold in the Second Republic.
" That alone epitomized his character and disposition as a bridge builder and advocate of national unity.
"The fact that he co-authored his own biography which we are launching today with an Islamic cleric, being a Christian, speaks to the boundless nature of his broadmindedness, spirit of tolerance and religious understanding.
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"Sadly, we are now playing the kind of politics that Chief Lar detested. Issues around ethnicity, religious bigotry, hate speech and personal attacks, rather than principles and policies affecting the lives of Nigerians, have continued to dominate political discourses around the country, as political parties begin their campaigns.
"There is no country that has made meaningful progress in the face of deep ethnic and religious division as is being experienced in our country today."
He expressed delight that the book was written by the late sage in collaboration with his age-old friend Sheikh Mohammed Amin Abdallah.
Jonathan noted that the it would have been inconceivable if Chief lar, the well-loved charismatic politician, had exited this world without directly sharing the experience of his enviable political behavior with us.
