Town Hall Meeting: How Osinbajo Reacted To Claim Buhari Is Biased Towards Herdsmen

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the presidential town hall interactive meeting that held on Wednesday, reacted to claims that President Muhammadu Buhari is biased towards marauding Fulani herdsmen because he shares same ethnicity with them.

President Buhari, alongside Osinbajo, had attended the two-hour presidential town hall meeting organised for presidential candidates and their deputies at the Ladi Kwali Conference Center in Sheraton Hotel Abuja.

Nigerians watching from home contributed to discussions on the programme using the hash tag ‘NGTheCandidates’ on social media.

The moderator of the programme which aired on the National Television Authority (NTA), Kadaria Ahmed, suggested that the current administration’s strategy to end the farmers-herdsmen crisis in country was weak, hence the citizens assume that President Buhari is being biased towards herdsmen in their clashes with farmers and villagers across the country.

Ahmed made the statement after the President argued earlier that it was impossible for his administration to prohibit free movement of herdsmen and their herds across the country.

But responding to the moderator’s observation, Vice President Osinbajo said it was a wrong perception for Nigerians to think President Buhari places the interest of Fulanis above that of the country.

He said the National Economic Council (NEC) which he chairs had approved a 10-year National Livestock Plan which will cost about N179bn and is believed will help address the issue.

Osinbajo added that governors of 36 states of country are expected to provide land for ranching in their respective states.

“Ranching will come as a long-term solution and to be built by private individuals,” said the Vice President.