“At 60, I Choose Forgiveness” – Olisa Metuh

…….Urges Nigerians to Embrace Tolerance as the True Path to Nation Building

Juliet Akoje In Abuja.

Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, has made a passionate appeal to Nigerians—leaders and citizens alike to embrace tolerance, forgiveness, and mutual accommodation as core pillars of nation-building.

Speaking during an intimate media parley at his Abuja residence ahead of his 60th birthday yesterday, Metuh turned a personal reflection on his life’s trials into a broader national message on healing and unity.

Metuh, who has played prominent roles in Nigeria’s political landscape for decades, retraced his journey through extraordinary adversity, accidents, gunshot wounds, legal battles, imprisonment, and public humiliation.

He described an uncanny pattern in which every leap year brought him significant hardship.

“From a life-threatening accident in 1992, to being shot by armed robbers in 1996, to his arrest and subsequent imprisonment in 2016”

He narrated a journey marked by survival and renewed faith, even though the most recent leap year, 2024, he said, carried no misfortune only by the grace of God.

Metuh emphasized that these experiences shaped his conviction about forgiveness.

Despite the pain of his imprisonment and the controversy surrounding the N400 million allegation, he stressed that he harbors no resentment.

According to him, neither money was missing nor used illegally adding that the funds were released well before the 2015 campaigns to counter narratives linking the then-president to Boko Haram, and that a team involving senior government officials and experts worked on the assignment.

He said the transparency of the work was so clear that senior figures in government acknowledged it.

“As I get to 60, I have forgiven everyone. I have forgiven the judge, the EFCC, the prosecutors, the media that were used for media trial and even the key actors involved. If God has forgiven me and allowed me reach 60 despite everything I’ve faced, why can’t I forgive?”

His call for forgiveness broadened into a call for national reconciliation and further urged Nigerians to adopt tolerance and forbearance as national virtues.

He appealed to leaders in government, business, and politics to exercise greater patience, particularly with young Nigerians on social media who, he said, often express themselves as a way of relieving frustration.

He cautioned against clamping down on online criticism and emphasized that democracy grows stronger when people feel free to express themselves.

He also pointed to his personal encounter with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a powerful lesson in tolerance.

As PDP spokesman, Metuh said he issued more press statements against Senator Tinubu than against any other opposition figure yet during his darkest moments, it was Tinubu who reached out to inquire about his health and well-being.

“It taught me the spirit of tolerance. It taught me the spirit of forbearance,” he said urging leaders to emulate such humility and humanity.

Addressing Nigeria’s democracy, Metuh noted that while the country faces significant challenges, it has not failed.

Democracies, he said, take generations to mature, and Nigeria must stay committed to the journey.

He emphasized that political disagreements should not translate to persecution, intolerance or repression, as witnessed under the previous administration.

He encouraged leaders to tolerate dissent and engage constructively with critics rather than punish them.

On constitutional amendments, Metuh expressed skepticism about the National Assembly’s repeated attempts, describing them as constantly incomplete.

Nonetheless, he proposed bold reforms, including a single five or six year tenure for presidents and governors and a zonal rotation of the presidency to strengthen unity, fairness, and national accommodation.

He argued that if every zone knows it will one day occupy the presidency, tensions will naturally reduce.

He called on the opposition PDP, Labour Party, ADC, YPP and others to offer Nigerians a constructive alternative by interrogating government policies instead of trading insults.

Recalling his own time as spokesperson, he said strong opposition strengthens democracy by compelling those in power to perform better.

On insecurity, he urged Nigerians to collaborate with security agencies by offering information and rejecting divisive behaviour.

He insisted that support from any individual or entity willing to contribute equipment, intelligence or resources should be welcomed in the national interest.

Reflecting on his humanitarian efforts, Metuh said he has invested in benevolence for nearly two decades, believing that the prayers of the underserved whom he has helped contributed to his survival through life’s storms.

His 60th birthday, he said, is an opportunity to thank God and reaffirm his commitment to the country.

While he did not state explicitly whether he will return to partisan politics, Metuh hinted strongly that he will remain active in the democratic space.

“After my birthday, it will be obvious that I am taking a deep interest at a very high level to develop democracy in this country,” he said.

“Let us accommodate one another and imbibe the spirit of tolerance and forbearance. That is the only way to build our nation.”

As he steps into his sixth decade, Olisa Metuh frames his life not merely as a political journey, but as a testament to forgiveness, resilience, and the urgent need for Nigerians to rediscover the values that bind rather than divide.