By Damola Oloye

IBADAN – A bigwig of the New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP), Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo recently during Isese Day festival celebration called on all Nigerians to live in unity and tolerate and in peaceful co-existence with one another among adherents of different religions.

Ajadi, who spoke to newsmen during the festival, declared that all religions affirm the existence of one God, a Supreme Being who is given different names by different adherents of religions. In a release he signed and made available to the Journalists in Ibadan recently, Ajadi said all religions believe in One God and urged the people of Yoruba land and the country,, in general to live in peace with one another.

According to the statement, “I used this year’s occasion of Isese Day to remind us all that all religions believe in One Supreme Being, God. “All religions also preach peace and they abhor violence. It behove on us the adherents of these religions therefore to embrace peace.”We must live in peace, because that is what all religions preach. We should be tolerant of each other no matter our religious beliefs. Peaceful Existence is essential for the survival and unity of our nation.”I am baffled when people fight based on religion, no religion taught us to be violent. Peace is at the center of all religions. We worship the same God though in different ways.”Therefore, I appeal to our politicians to stop using religion to divide the people for their selfish reasons. “I celebrate with our traditional religion worshippers as they celebrate the Isese Day, today and urged them to celebrate peacefully and moderately”.

It would be recalled that four South West Governors, namely, Babajide Sanwo -.Olu of Lagos State; Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke of Osun State have declared today, Thursday as public holiday to mark the Isese Day. A Day set aside to mark the celebration of Yoruba Traditional religion and to celebrate with its adherents.

Ajadi commended the Yoruba people for their religious tolerance, saying it is only in Yorubaland that adherents of different religions tolerate each other and live in peace. He wants other people in the country to emulate the practice in Yoruba land for the peace of the country.