Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
A former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and major presidential contender on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has attributed the crisis between the Tiv and Fulani to some kind of sponsored misunderstanding between the two tribes.
Atiku stated this when he paid a brotherly visit to his age-long friend, the Tor Sankera, Chief Abu King Shuluwa, in his Makurdi residence, on Sunday.
He assured that he would easily resolve the Tiv/Fulani crisis if he becomes the President of this country.
According to Atiku, “It’s very easy because traditionally, over hundreds of years, the Fulani and the Tiv have coexisted peacefully.
“And I believe that what is happening of recent could be attributed to some kind of sponsored misunderstanding between them.
READ ALSO: Don’t ignore Africa, AfDB warns
“As we have always done, anytime we have conflict between the Fulani and the Tiv, we have always sat down to resolve those misunderstandings and conflicts.
“And even as Zegemule U Tiv (Tiv title holder), in the past, I have spearheaded resolutions of such conflicts when I was in office as Vice President.
“So, it is normal for even brothers or people in the same family to have misunderstanding but the most important thing is their ability to resolve those misunderstanding or conflict,” Atiku stated.
Asked if he would be ready to work with whoever emerges the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku assured that all other aspirants of the PDP would work with its the presidential candidate provided the Party conducts credible, free and fair elections at the primaries.
“Well, I believe whoever emerges candidate of the party at the end of the day will also enjoy the support of others provided the party conducts credible, free and fair elections at the primaries”.
On his part, Chief Shuluwa posited that the Tiv people do not have any issue with the Fulani.
He, however, stressed that those Fulani who are attacking and killing the Tiv people are not the Fulani who are Nigeria of Nigeria.
READ ALSO: 2019 : S’ South PDP guber screening c’ittee clears Wike, Okowa, Emmanuel
“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 have 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 Fulani 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 stressed.