Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, has told journalists of the existence of “latter-day activists”.
This, he said, are politicians who undermine Nigeria’s democracy when they find policies unfavorable.
Sani gave the warning while breaking the Ramadan fast with journalists at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna on Thursday.
The governor said journalists played a crucial role in the struggle for democracy in Nigeria and should remain vigilant against anti-democratic forces.
“When we were in the struggle, we civil rights activists relied mostly on journalists. Most of them lost their freedoms, and some even lost their lives when we were fighting for democracy,” he said.
According to him, the contributions of journalists remained central to Nigeria’s democratic journey.
“You cannot talk about democracy today without the contribution of journalists. So, you have to be vigilant about these categories of politicians who are conflict merchants,” he advised.
Sani alleged that such politicians focus less on development issues such as healthcare, education, human capital development, infrastructure, unemployment and poverty, but rather exploit ethnicity and religion to divide Nigerians.
“When campaigns begin, they will focus on these issues instead of matters that affect all Nigerians irrespective of ethno-religious affiliations,” he said.
The governor also described some of the individuals he referred to as “emergency activists” as people who were not part of the pro-democracy struggle.
“When we were fighting for democracy, they were partnering with military dictators, today, from nowhere, they are trying to teach us democracy,” he said.
Sani said Nigerians should question the democratic credentials of such individuals, noting that their past actions contradict their current posture.
“What do they know about fundamental human rights? What do they know about freedom, the rule of law, equality and justice?” he asked.
He urged journalists to hold such politicians accountable by scrutinising their past records.
Highlighting achievements of his administration, the governor said that before he assumed office, 12 Local Government Areas in the State had no single kilometre of road constructed in 10 years.
