Sylvanus Viashima, Jaling

Taraba State governor Darius Ishaku has described Fulani in the state as his prodigal sons who have realised their past mistakes and decided to come back home repentant.

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The governor made this statement on Monday when some Fulani stakeholders in the state paid him a courtesy call and endorsed him and the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Alh Atiku Abubakar as their candidates in the forthcoming general elections.

Gov Ishaku said that the ongoing confrontation with the group in the state over the Open Grazing Prohibition Law was not only unnecessary but retrogressive for the group and the state as a whole.

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He said that “the return of the Fulani groups to join in building a stronger state shows that they have realised his good intentions and are reneging on their earlier antagonistic position like the prodigal son” and promised to carry them along while ensuring that “we create an enabling environment for effective take off of ranching in the state as soon as I’m returned.”

The leader of the group and North East Chairman of Miyetti Allah, Mafindi Damburam, said that they had decided to endorse the governor “as a mark of good fate following his decision to step down the law for a long time to avoid the unnecessary bloodbath it could have caused” and asked the governor to address some of the issues the herdsmen earlier raised against the law.

Damburam said that the decision of the state’s chapter of the Miyetti Allah to endorse President Muhammadu Buhari and candidate of the APC in the state as against their choice of the PDP candidates did not portray a crack in the MACBAN but served to deepen democracy.

Our correspondent recall that the MACBÀN had earlier in the day endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari and candidate of the APC in the state Alh  Sani Abubakar Danladi as their candidates in the forthcoming general elections.