Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and former Governor of Sokoto State, has expressed concerns that the rampant killings by Fulani herdsmen across the country may obstruct the conduct of 2019 general elections in Nigeria.
Bafarawa while on a condolence visit to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State over the New Year massacre of 73 persons by Fulani herdsmen, decried that the 2019 general elections may not hold across the country except the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled federal government finds urgent solutions to the perennial killings in Benue State and other parts of Nigeria.
The former governor maintained that elections cannot hold in any country where uncertainty and insecurity persist.
Bafarawa had contended: “Why would there be elections in 2019 where there is no peace? The most important thing you can bring to society is peace. When you bring peace to them, then, you have brought life and you can talk of an election.”
He was of the view that the killings in Benue State are politically motivated and therefore should be resolved politically.
He further said that the Benue killings are perpetuated by foreign Fulani.
”The Nigerian Fulani who settled and live among Tiv people speak Tiv fluently. But these immigrants don’t speak Tiv language and don’t know who is who. Therefore, the problem is solvable. What government needs to do is to block these people from coming into the country,” Bafarawa had declared.