End to herders/farmers clashes in sight – Adamawa senator-elect

The senator-elect for the Adamawa Southern Senatorial District, Binos Dauda, has vowed to utilize all opportunities his new office will give him to end the perennial conflicts between herders and farmers that have claimed lives and properties in the last few years, especially around his senatorial zone.

Adamawa is one of the states worst affected by conflicts to do with herders and farming communities in Nigeria and the southern part of Adamawa is the most troubled in the state and efforts by state and non-state actors over the years have failed to yield an enduring solution.

The senator-elect who spoke to newsmen in his Yola home Monday afternoon, expressed the confidence, however, that the conflict is not without a solution and he would lead efforts to find the solution.

He said he would work in all earnestness with his colleagues in the National Assembly, employ the expertise and facilities of government agencies, and utilise the goodwill and counsel of stakeholders back home to establish permanent peace among herders and farmers in his constituency.

Binos Dauda who said he traversed all the communities making up the entire Adamawa South Senatorial District and identified their challenges, said he would give the people effective representation in the National Assembly when the new legislative session begins.

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“I want to convey my appreciation to the people of Southern Senatorial Zone for standing by me,” he said, adding that he would justify their support in good time.

Commenting on the supplementary governorship election scheduled for March 23, Binos Dauda who was elected under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said the supplementary election is a mere academic exercise.

“They are only delaying the inevitable. No magic could be done to upturn the margin of lead by the PDP governorship candidate, Rt Hon Umaru Fintiri,” the senator-elect asserted.

Umaru Fintiri polled 367,471 votes in the March 9 governorship election while his closest rival, Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow got 334,995 votes, leaving 32,467 margin of lead by the PDP, a margin which INEC said was lower than cancelled votes in some polling units where the proposed supplementary poll is to be held and where the number of collected PVCs iis said to be 31,027