2027: Asari, Sultan call for deeper ties between north, southern Nigeria

The Amayanabo of Elem Kalabari kingdom, in Rivers State, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, has called for a deeper tie between northern Nigeria and the south-south region of the country.

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Asari made the call during a royal visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Saad Abubakar, in his palace in Sokoto State on Tuesday.

He expressed gratitude to the sultan for the warm reception, adding that the visit was to promote national unity and deepen existing cordial relationships between traditional institutions in southern and northern Nigeria.

“Nigeria remains one and indivisible country for the good of our own people and for the welfare of all of us as a people.

“I feel that the sultan is a very amiable person, and our relationship with him over the years has shown that he is humble and he receives everybody as equal.

‘’I believe that this (visit) will go a very long way to strengthen this bond of relationship and make Nigeria a better place for all of us,” he said.

The visit by the Kalabari monarch provided an opportunity to strengthen the historical and cultural ties between the north-west and south-south regions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Receiving his guest, the Sultan and President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, expressed appreciation for the visit, noting that such engagement will further strengthen the long-standing relationships between the two regions.

In the 2027 general elections, Sultan Sa’ad emphasised the need for mutual understanding and peaceful conduct among  political actors to ensure a peaceful electoral process.

“There is nowhere in the world that is 100% devoid of problems. It is how to overcome the challenges that matters,” he said.

In the course of the visit, the sultan identified the security challenges posed by the country’s porous borders, stressing the need for more surveillance equipment for effective monitoring to curb smuggling and other cross-border crimes.

Alhaji Asari was accompanied in the royal visit by prominent and influential personalities and chiefs, including Tonye Princewill, the Paramount chief of the Kalabari kingdom.