Abstract
This paper examined the impact of political influence and ethnicity on national unity in Nigeria. The justification is not to promote and proliferate ethnic jingoism, but slightly extolled its negativity to allow the pervasion of positive impact as a superseding role in attainment of national unity through flourishing political influence. It dissected the possible origins and vantage of political influence and ethnicity for collective national unity among the variegated ethnic nationalities through historical materialism. It extenuates factors of good governance to achieve national unity by de-emphasizing of ethnic colouration, polity and parties; indigenization policy; condemnation of aborigine rights; ethnic control of resources; proportional and meritocratic political appointment and others. This espouses the personal idiosyncrasies of past and present Nigerian leaders (civilian and military) which from ab initio had, and has continue to aid the shunning, mitigation, mortifying as well as condemnation of ethnic chauvinism. Above all, from all intent and purposes, the paper sees to acknowledge ethnicity as a fulcrum of national unity not as a divisive factor, if well manage. However, for clarity of the paper, it adopted a synthesis of both primary and secondary sources to validate the reality of data collected. In the final analysis, it recommends the attainment of national unity via the prevention of ethno-religious strife by insisting on the secular nature of our state due to inherent multiplicity of languages and diverse cultures. Nigeria peoples must diffuse and de-emphasise ethnicity by laying more emphasis on citizenship and place of residence rather than state of origin. In addition, sturdy efforts should be made to consign cultural activity and consideration to the realms of ceremony, celebration, sport and spectacle. Each national institution should have as a prime duty through political influence to be a watch-dog in the service to entrench solidarity as to exterminate ethnic prejudices for national unity.
Keywords: Nigeria, Ethnic, Ethnicity, Political Influence, Colonialism, National Unity
DOI: 10.36349/zamijoh.2025.v03i01.014
author/Aleshinloye Sherif Olayinka & Moshood Saka Ph.D
journal/Zamfara IJOH Vol. 3, Issue 1
