By: Okey Muogbo
Peter Obi, Labour Party’s Presidential candidate for next year’s election on Monday made another milestone in his ambition as Fulani People in Nigeria have refuted an earlier story that their people will not vote for him.
The Fulani professional group, Coalition of Fulbe Professionals in Africa (COFPIA), has distanced itself from a statement credited to one Alhaji Alhasan Salah, the National Secretary of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore in which he vowed that the Fulanis would not vote for Peter Obi because he is Igbo.
But COFPIA outrightly dismissed Miyetti Allah’s rejection of Obi as a campaign of calumny against the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi.
It went further to describe Miyetti Allah as being “politically sponsored.”
COFPIA then called on Nigerians to disregard any statement from Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore, saying it did not speak for Fulani ethnic group or represented the Fulani in any way.
COFPIA, in a statement signed by its National President and Secretary, Professor Mohammed Gidado, and Hajiya Mairo Modibo respectively said while it acknowledged their right to freedom of expression and opinion, it would say “they don’t have the right to speak for the entire Fulani in Nigeria, especially when they have not lived up to expectations.”
Fulani people, COFPIA further said “will not be blinded by that politically sponsored statement of Miyetti Allah.”
“Our attention has been drawn to a sectional, unpatriotic, ungodly and senseless statement credited to one of our brothers, Alhajji Hassan Saleh, the National Secretary of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, the most controversial Fulani group in Nigeria, which no doubt, is responsible for the bad name Fulani nation has been branded with in Nigeria.
“The Fulbe all over Nigeria will not be binded by that politically sponsored statement of Miyetti Allah anymore.
“The Fulani people are wise now and cannot be used as tools of extortion and religious sentiment any more. We will enlighten our people to vote for competence and capacity come 2023. We will never vote for any candidate who has nothing to offer. We have gone far beyond religious and ethnic sentiments.
“We will vote for a President that will tackle poverty and acute hunger that have held our people hostage for so long. We will vote for a President that will fight insecurity with every commitment and unbiased mind, no matter who is involved.
“Our respected tribal group, Miyetti Allah, should channel their campaign to redeem the bad image they have created for Fulani people in Nigeria rather than casting aspersions on Peter Obi, who has demonstrated capacity to rescue Nigeria from the current hopelessness.
“We wish to also make it categorically clear that we have not endorsed Obi or any presidential candidate in the forth-coming general election and we are not Obi’s mouthpiece, but it is wrong for our people to continue to brand Peter Obi as a tribal bigot and that he doesn’t like the North. Available data has shown Obi as an ardent nationalist that believes in the unity of Nigeria.
“We, therefore, call on our brothers in the Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore to only speak for their group, rather than misleading Nigerians that they are speaking for the entire Fulani people.
“They lack the moral, spiritual, and religious rights to speak for the entire Fulani people in Nigeria, especially when they have reduced themselves to tribal bigots that has no regards for other tribes and faiths.
“Nigerians have taken position in the forthcoming elections to vote for the best man for the job and cannot be distracted by any selfish agenda and blackmail.
“As campaigns start, we shall mobilise and enlighten Fulani, young and, old to every rugas and town to sensitize our people so as not to be deceived by Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore and its like”, COFPIA stated.
It would be recalled that Miyetti Allah’s Alhasan had, in an interview with a national newspaper, said the Fulani nation would not support the candidature of Obi because according to him, Obi represents Biafra.