Fulani group celebrates APC’s win in Benue, pledges support for party’s guber candidate

Members of the Fulani Nationality Movement, FUNAM, have expressed happiness over the wins by Benue state All Progressives Congress, APC, in the last presidential and National Assembly elections, describing it as their first victory over Governor Samuel Ortom.

They added that they would work with APC to win the governorship election come March 11, 2023 so that the Open Grazing Prohibition Law of the state will be repealed should the APC win.

In a statement signed by the National President, FUNAM, Umar Amir Shehu, said the renewed attacks in Benue state is just a note of warning and should the PDP win there would be more attacks in Benue State.

The statement with heading ‘WE GOT OUR FIRST VICTORY AGAINST ORTOM & OTHERS; NEXT IS GOVERNORSHIP – FUNAM’ reads: “The Fulani Nationality Movement, FUNAM, is indeed glad with the recent political developments in Benue state where the people rejected the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“We are particularly happy that Governor Samuel Ortom has lost his senatorial ambition partly due to his animosity towards the Fulanis as he has made a wicked law to deny pastoralists the right to stay and do our lawful business in the state.

“FUNAM is impressed with the Benue people for doing what we advised them to do by voting for the APC in the 2023 elections. Now that the first hurdle has been crossed, we look forward to the next stage which is the governorship election, where we also know that the PDP would be defeated.

“We are not giving room for complacency and shall not take it lightly with the people if they decide to abandon this project halfway by voting for the evil party of Governor Ortom, the PDP on March 11 against our agreement with major stakeholders in the state, especially leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

“The people should know that the renewed massive attacks across Benue is just to sound a note of warning as to what shall befall them if they don’t vote for the APC in the Governorship polls. We had told them that we will bring Ortom down and we have done just that. But the battle is not over until we win totally as we ardent believers in the principle of winner takes all.

“They are aware that we have never failed in making good our intentions, and we will always get what we want. The Ortom administration had too much hatred for the Fulanis and we told him that the people of the state will not enjoy peace on account of that. We hope they vote his party out and bring in the APC which has promised to repeal the law banning open grazing in Benue state, as that is the only requirement for the permanent return of peace in the state.

“The APC has so far shown signs of commitment to abolishing the anti-Fulani law and we expect the people to elect them if they want to enjoy peace again.

“For Governor Ortom, we are not done with him. He should not assume that our widespread celebration of his loss at the polls is the end. We are still coming for him and those who stood by him in making life miserable for innocent Fulani pastoralists in Benue and neighbouring Nasarawa state.

“We once again assure the people of Benue state of the support of Fulanis worldwide for their desire to uproot PDP and install a Fulani-friendly administration in the state.

“We urge them to go out on Saturday, March 11 and vote massively for the Governorship candidate of the APC and the party’s candidates for the House of Assembly elections, if they truly anticipate the return of peace in their communities.”