Two Governors belonging to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have began a war of words with Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State throwing the first salvo, saying that his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed is part of terrorist Fulanis.
“I am beginning to think that my brother, the governor of Bauchi State is part of the terrorist Fulani organization that is terrorizing this country.”
Governor Ortom, in a chat with newsmen today, February 22 in Makurdi, Benue State capital, said: “why do I say this? This is the same governor who took the oath of office to protect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This constitution does not leave room for allowing foreign herdsmen to come in without valid papers.”
The Benue State governor also referred to the assertion by Mohammed that herders should carry AK-47 to defend themselves as being “unconstitutional.
“His recent outburst that Fulani herdsmen are justified for carrying AK-47 to protect themselves; I don’t know where the constitution of this country allows that.”
Governor Ortom called Governor Bala Mohammed to render an unreserved apology to Nigerians and learn from the provisions of the constitution that, land both territorial, forest, and aquatic, are vested on the governor of a state who holds them in trust.
Defending his call on Fulanis to carry guns, Governor Bala Mohammed had said that his comment about armed herders was a figure of speech for protection, adding: “it is a figure of speech to show you the despondence, the desperation and frustration and the agony that this particular person is exposed to by his own people, by his own tribe and by other tribes who have all seen him as a criminal and therefore, he has the inalienable right to protect himself”
