2023 Presidency: Why South-East must accept RUGA – Northern elders

Northern Elders have threatened to withdraw 2023 Presidential slot from South-East if they insist on rejecting Ruga project for Fulani herdsmen.

The federal government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari had proposed establishment of Ruga settlements, nationwide, for Fulani herdsmen who have killed over 5,000 people in Nigeria since 2015. Many Nigerians including the people of South-East have kicked against it, saying it’s a strategy to “Fulanize and Islamize” the country.

Former Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters to former President, Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, a prominent Northern Elder, said that its rejection by the people of South-East, is equivalent to the rejection of the 2023 Presidential slot.

Meanwhile the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum has alleged that there’s an ongoing plot by the Nigerian Government to repeal the Land Use Charge to enable it take over control of lands across the country for Ruga execution.

The group, Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum says there is a surreptitious plan by the Federal Government to repeal the Land Use Act and take over the control of lands in the country from state governors.

This, it said, was to enable the government to subsequently implement the suspended Ruga project.

The forum said it gathered that the Nigerian government suspended the Ruga Settlement Programme due to the Act which restricted its access to land, adding that the government may move to repeal the law in order to facilitate the implementation of the Ruga grazing scheme.