The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari for the 2019 presidential election.
Muhammadu Kirowa, MACBAN national president, made the announcement at the 2018 annual general meeting of the association.
The association had earlier said it was yet to decide whom to support between Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
While Buhari is from Katsina, Abubakar is from Adamawa but both men are Fulani.
Kirowa explained that the group decided to unanimously endorse Buhari because of the “numerous achievements recorded by his administration in the areas of Infrastructural development, youth employment and security.”
He, therefore, urged leaders and members of the association at all levels to mobilise support and ensure that Buhari is re-elected.
On his part, Baba Ngelzarma, MACBAN national secretary, commended the federal government for the “robust measures taken by the military in eliminating cattle banditry and wanton killing of herdsmen and farmers.”
Ngelzarma said the association would continue to collaborate with the security agencies in fishing out bad eggs, saying “as a credible organisation we do not and will not condone criminality in whatever form by our members.
“MACBAN pledges its loyalty and support to President Buhari for his laudable efforts of uniting the country, infrastructural growth of the nation and transforming the economic life of citizens for posterity,” he said.
“We appreciate Government’s programmes of transforming the social lives of Nigerians through empowerment, Agricultural Development particularly the livestock sub-sector, where pilot programmes of developing water and pasture in long neglected Grazing reserves has commenced.”
He appealed to all the Miyetti Allah officials and members to be law abiding, avoid frictions and inciting utterances, urging them to go about their legitimate endeavours peacefully.