Photos: Almajiri, Fulani herdsmen pick APC Presidential Form for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan
Vondigest report has it that members of the Fulani herdsmen, Miyetti Allah cattle rearers association of Nigeria and Almajiris have purchased the All Ptogressive Congress (APC) presidential form for former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The group, according to DAILY POST purchased the form for the ex-president on Monday.
Recall that Jonathan, while addressing some youths who stormed his house a few weeks ago, urging him to join the presidential race, said he was not ready.
At the moment, it is unclear if Jonathan would accept the form to join the race.
Reacting, Jonathan said I know you are “here to ask me to declare, I cannot declare because some process are still ongoing.
Noting that Jonathan had a lot of initiatives for them, the group said the former president must be encouraged to come back and continue the good works he started for the Fulani.
Spokesman of the group, Ibrahim Abdullahi said they decided to pick the forms in order to beat the APC deadline, not minding if the former president accepts them or not.
Asked whether Jonathan is a member of the APC, he said; “yes, he is”.
Addressing journalists, Abdullahi said; “I represent two of the most vulnerable communities in our country. The nomadic pastoralist and the Almajiri communities who have decided to purchase these forms for our former president, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to come back and rule this country and continue with the good work he has started.
“You may recall that during Goodluck Jonathan’s era he was the first president since independence of Nigeria who had found it expedient, who was magnanimous enough some of us remember the Almajiri community, he brought a comprehensive policy of reformation and integration of the Almajiri into the mainstream educational system in Nigeria.
“It was the dream and the vision of President Goodluck Jonathan that if that programme had continued it would one day produce from the Almajiri system of education; Doctors, engineers etc. Unfortunately, that programme was kept aside as soon as he left. Other parts of the community ( the vulnerable community) that Goodluck Jonathan wanted to really give a sense of belonging was the Fulani community, the nomadic pastoralist.
“He set aside N60 billions in the coffers of the Central Bank of Nigeria which was to be used to develop livestock in Nigeria. I believe if government had continued with that programme, today, we would have been the Denmark, the Sweden, the Holland of the entire Africa in terms of livestock, in terms of beef and so on. Looking at this situation and of course the problems Nigeria today is facing, we believe that only a leader with that kind of patriotism, a leader with that kind of fairness who is ready to give every Nigerian sense of belonging, can be able to rule this country and that leader is Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Unless if Nigerians are not serious, unless if we don’t want to integrate and unite in this country, unless if you want to continue playing the politics of religion, tribalism. You see I am a Fulani man, coming from the far north but I tell you there is no Nigerian today that I can cast my vote or campaign for except Jonathan. For me Jonathan is best among all the aspirants, irrespective of where he comes from and his religion.
“Goodluck Jonathan is the best president for Nigeria and I hope with this purchase of forms today, I call on all the aspirants if they are really patriotic, if they want Nigeria’s unity, if they want sense of belonging, if they want a president for all, if they want a president that has come out to say his ambition does not worth the blood of any Nigerian no matter how lowly or highly placed such Nigerian is and he lived to that word when the chips were down, I think it is time for Nigerians to tell that man to come back and lead us”, he stated.
