FORMER Vice President and presidential aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar has identified the cause of the clashes between Tivs and fulani herdsmen to what he described as ‘sponsored misunderstanding’.
Atiku stated this while speaking with Journalists during his visit to a first class Chief, His Royal Highness, Abu King Shuluwa in Makurdi.
The former president who holds one of the highest title in Tiv land, the ‘Zege Mule U Tiv’ meaning, protective shield of Tiv nation gave the reason for constant clashes between fulani herdsmen and Tiv farmers during his visit to a Tiv first class chief, HRH, Abu King Shuluwa in Makurdi yesterday.
He noted that stopping herdsmen and farmers clashes in Benue is a simple thing to do as president.
While he did not explain the method to stop the killings, Atiku, however, said that the two ethnic groups had over the years live together peacefully.
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“Traditionally over a number of years Tiv and Fulanis have coexisted, I believe that what is happening of recent can be attributed to sponsored misunderstanding between Tivs and Fulani herdsmen and we have always done our best to resolve the conflict.
“We have always sat down to resolve the conflict, even as Zege Mule U Tiv, I have spearheaded many meetings to resolve the conflict.”
When asked if he would work with anyone who emerges the party candidate in the forth coming primary, the presidential aspirant said that the only way all the presidential aspirants said that he would abide by the decision of the delegates if the primary is free and fair.
“Whoever emerges the party (PDP) candidate in Port Harcourt we will support him if the primary election is free, fair and credible.”
Also speaking, the host, HRH, Shuluwa said that Tiv people do not have any issue with the Fulani, stressing that those attacking and killing the Tiv people were not Fulani of Nigeria origin.
“The Fulani that you see fighting the Tiv people are not the Fulani that we know and I have always said this. We don’t know where these crop of Fulani come from. The Fulani who are indigenes of Nigeria can never fight a Tiv man.
“As time goes on, all our differences will be healed up. We will make sure that the Fulanis that are non-Nigerians don’t come into to this land.
“That one I can assure everybody. But we have nothing against the Fulani generally,” Shuluwa said.
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