Bomba Dauda
The immediate past President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Awemi Dio Maisamari, has called on the current leadership of the union to urgently pursue reconciliation and restore unity amid the deepening disagreements involving SOKAPU and the Southern Kaduna Leadership Council (SKLC).
In an open letter addressed to the SOKAPU President on Thursday, Maisamari expressed concern over what he described as “endless and embarrassing internal conflicts” within Southern Kaduna, warning that such disputes were distracting the region from addressing broader challenges confronting its people.
He said the current mood in Southern Kaduna reflected growing frustration and exhaustion over internal divisions, adding that the situation required mature leadership and strategic direction.
Maisamari referenced a recent social media post by former SOKAPU Public Relations Officer, Luka Biniyat, which urged the union to abandon what he described as a “combative posture” against Southern Kaduna individuals and groups.
Quoting Biniyat, Maisamari noted that “too much energy and resources are being expended on internal conflicts instead of confronting the evil forces and injustices still working against our people.”
According to him, the views expressed by Biniyat represent the thinking of “matured, reasonable and foresighted sons and daughters” of Southern Kaduna.
The former SOKAPU President urged the current leadership to immediately initiate genuine dialogue with relevant stakeholders to de-escalate tensions and resolve disagreements within the organization and the wider Southern Kaduna community.
“It is not enough to do it, it must be seen that you did it well,” he stated, warning that calls for external intervention and what he termed “SOKAPU belligerence” were undermining the credibility and standing of the union.
Maisamari further advised the leadership against pursuing what he described as a “victor-vanquished outcome” in the ongoing dispute between SOKAPU and SKLC, insisting that only a “win-win” resolution would serve the long-term interest of Southern Kaduna people.
He also called for a broader strategic reassessment within Southern Kaduna, emphasizing the need to confront issues such as tribalism, disunity, poverty, unemployment, corruption, bad leadership, and social division.
“The focus must remain that of winning the big war and not winning petty battles,” he said, adding that Southern Kaduna must remain united in confronting forces responsible for the marginalization and exclusion of its people.
Maisamari concluded by urging the SOKAPU President to use the opportunity of leadership to build a lasting legacy rooted in unity, dialogue, and positive impact rather than “rhetoric and unnecessary display of transient power.”
