2019: Why Fulani herders association not keen on Buhari, Atiku

The Miyetti Allah Kautal-Hore, a Fulani socio-cultural association, on Tuesday said it has not endorsed any presidential candidate for the 2019 election.

The two leading candidates, incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and main opposition Atiku Abubakar, are ethnic Fulani, but the group said no candidate has unveiled a favourable plan for its members.

It called on the Federal and State governments to secure grazing reserves across the country, to curb farmers/herders crisis.

The national president of the group, Bello Badejo made the call in Sokoto during a courtesy visit to the Gov. Aminu Tambuwal.

He said most gazetted grazing reserves had been appropriated by farmers and should be retrieved by government.

“The Federal Government should bring back our grazing reserves, some are gazetted and some are not.

“We do not know the reason why the the government is delaying the preparation of the grazing reserves so that cattle herders can go back to their grazing areas.

“We have the national and the international cattle route, where are they now? This is because the government is not serious about the reserves.

“We are saying that if these ranches are in place, farmers and herders crisis would have been resolved most significantly,” he said

Mr Badejo alleged that recently the National Economic Council gave the Kaduna state government N5 billion to build ranches, which he said was yet to be seen.

On politics, the Fulani leader said the group has not endorsed any presidential candidate, because none of them has unveiled any agenda for herders.

He said while the federal government has many intervention packages for farmers, including soft loans and distribution of fertilizer, nothing is done for the cattle herders.

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“Endorsing any candidate is a very difficult position for the association to make, noting that President Muhammadu Buhari is Fulani and his main rival, Atiku Abubakar, is also Fulani.

“What we want is just a solution to national problems, so that peace reigns,” he said.

Mr Badejo accused the media of being biased in their reporting of the crisis involving farmers and Fulani herdsmen in the country.