Herders-Farmers Crises: President Buhari Reveals The Real Reason Governor Ortom Left APC

President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed the real reason why the Benue State Governor, Mr Samuel Ortom left the ruling All Progressive Party to the People Democratic Party.

It will be recalled that the Governor won his second term in office with the main opposition political party.

Naija News learnt that the President made the revelation during town-hall with the Nigerian community in Dubai on April 9.

He said that his differences with Governor Samuel Ortom on the herders-farmer crisis compelled the Benue governor to leave the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

He reportedly added, “I took the governor on this and this is one of the reasons he left our party for another party.

“Because I told him the cattle rearers and settlers’ problem in Nigeria is older than me not to talk of him and, during the First Republic, there were cattle routes; they put infrastructures and even veterinary.

“So, if you are a cattle rearer or you know about cattle like me, the herders now pass through anybody’s land to find water for their cattle to drink. I told Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture, to look at the Gazette of the First Republic to get the cattle routes and get the grazing routes and re-establish them so that we can reduce this incidence. Some of you here know the efforts we are making.”

Naija News also learnt that at the meeting, the President was quoted to have absolved herdsmen he tagged as “Nigerian cattle rearers” of guilt in the killing of farmers in Benue and elsewhere, putting the blame on those he labelled as “cattle rearers from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and other cattle herders”.

“Those of you, who are neighbours to cattle rearers, know that they used to carry only sticks and their machetes to cut foliage for the cattle.“But these are cattle rearers with weapons like AK47 but the problem is that you can hardly identify the difference because cattle rearers look the same.”