Gyang Bere, Jos
A group, under the aegis of Middle Belt Youth Forum, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to contest the 2019 Presidential election, following his inability to address herdsmen killings that has consumed several lives in the region.
In a press statement signed by the National President, Comrade Pius Attah and Secretary, Dan Kadarko and made available to Daily Sun in Jos, the group said the Middle Belt is currently shopping for a credible candidate that will defend interest of the region in 2019.
“President Buhari has not been able to addressed the insecurity ravaging the Middle Belt, particularly the recent killings by herdsmen in Benue state that claimed about 73 innocent lives. The Fulani has issued another threats that if Governor Samuel Ortom does not rescind on the implementation of the anti-grazing law, the state risk another attack and Federal Government has not called them to order.
“It is based on this that we advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to contest the 2019 Presidential election because he has failed to protect our members in Benue, Plateau, Taraba and Southern Kaduna states respectively. We will mobilise ourselves against his ambition if he insist on contesting.
“A credible presidential candidate has merged from the Middle Belt with a view to tackle the rampant killings in the country and the persons would be announced formally to Nigerians after consultation with power brokers in the country. We believed that the region has been too silent that is why it has suffered avoidable attacks that consumed dozen of lives.”
Comrade Attah urged Federal Government to declare the herdsmen killing innocent people in the Middle Belt as terrorists and urged government to use its machineries to crushed their activities in the interest of peace and unity of the country.
He said youths from the Middle Belt felt disappointed with the manner in which Buhari’s government has treated the region which contributed immensely to enthroned him in 2015.
“We have nothing to show that Buhari’s government has done for us in the Middle Belt (North Central) apart from killing of innocent people by herdsmen and economic hardship that has ravaged the people. Something urgent need to be done before we are consumed and that is why we are ready to produce the next president of Nigeria.”