Babangida, who served as head of state between 1985 and 1993 shared his view on recent agitations for Biafra and Yoruba nations during an interview on Arise TV on Friday.
Former Nigerian military dictator, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, also known as IBB, has disclosed that Nigerians believe the country should stay united because they love their peace of mind.
He noted that Nigerians do not believe in secession.
Babangida, who served as head of state between 1985 and 1993 shared his view on recent agitations for Biafra and Yoruba nations during an interview on Arise TV on Friday.
“It is always good to agitate but because there is this belief that this country should be one.
“When they make the noise, they find that it won’t get supported because Nigerians generally don’t believe in anything that would disturb their peace of mind. They won’t do it.
“If you look back, if you take a place like Baga, in the north-east, the Igbo man, Yoruba man travelled up to Baga for trading, he lived very comfortably, he lived very well with the people around there.”
SaharaReporters reported on Thursday that Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje said Nigeria's unity should not be debated despite numerous challenges confronting the country.
The governor said the nation’s forefathers who liberated the country from British colonialists sought its unity at all cost and did not speak of secession for their ethnic groups.
He then urged different separatist groups, mainly Biafra and Yoruba Nation agitators, to suspend their secessionist activities in the interest of a united Nigeria.
The Kano state governor urged the aggrieved groups to call for restructuring instead of sponsoring and promoting separatist agenda.
“Let me repeat here that Nigeria is a united and indivisible country. Our constitution has taken care of that. I don’t see secession as the way out of the current challenges afflicting the nation. Instead, advocates of secession should have a change of heart and I recommend dialogue as a crucial option for addressing their problems.
“The Biafran agitators and a small section of the Yoruba nation agitating for Oduduwa Republic should therefore always have this at the back of their minds in their political calculations and transformations.
“It is on record that the great Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first president of Nigeria, was an Igbo man and also a perfect negotiator and foremost champion of Nigeria’s unity. The same for the great Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He never agitated for secession.
“He was loud and clear on the restructuring of the federation. And that demand is even louder and the debate is on and no one is troubling agitators for agitating for restructuring of the federation. What is more, the governing party, the APC has a working document already on this (restructuring). This is the way we should all go. There should be no secession distraction at this time,” Ganduje said.