2027: Ondo targets untapped Fulani, Igbira, others’ votes
— Mobilisation drive’ll combine voters’ education with peacebuilding – Abdulkadiri
… inaugurates, trains members.
By Kunle Michael
As political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections gather momentum in Ondo State, the battle for every bloc of voters appears to be intensifying, with Adinoyi Abdulkadiri spearheading a mobilisation campaign to bring Fulani and Igbira communities into the electoral process and secure their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Abdulkadiri said the leadership of the Fulani community across the state converged at his residence on Sunday, September 6, for the formal inauguration and training of members of the Asiwaju Datiwa Fulani Movement on voters’ education.
He said the initiative was aimed at sensitising, educating and mobilising Fulani residents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards and participate actively in the electoral process, particularly in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
According to him, more than 239 people from the 18 local government areas of the state attended the inauguration, while representatives were selected from the local government areas to coordinate the mobilisation and voters’ education campaign within their respective communities.
He said the initiative was particularly important because some residents who had obtained their voter cards were reluctant to participate in elections, while others were yet to collect their cards.
Abdulkadiri said the meeting also focused on strengthening peace and security among the various communities in the state.
He disclosed that he had proposed opening a window of dialogue and reconciliation with the other faction of the Fulani community, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), as part of efforts to promote peaceful coexistence and jointly fight crime and criminality in Ondo State.
He said the stakeholders agreed to work together with relevant security agencies and community leaders to identify and address criminal activities while preventing disputes from escalating.
Abdulkadiri said the initiative would involve collaboration with security agencies, including the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun Corps, and the Department of State Services, to help identify and apprehend criminals operating in the state.
He also commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for approving the appointment of three Senior Special Assistants to cater to the interests of non-indigenous communities in the state.
He said the group was hopeful that the governor would approve additional appointments to accommodate other non-indigenous communities.
The governor’s aide added that the meeting resolved to engage the Special Adviser on Union Matters, Hon. Bola Taiwo, to address outstanding issues affecting the communities and ensure that differences were resolved amicably.
On the role of the Bororo community, Abdulkadiri said the group constituted a significant part of the Fulani population in the state and maintained close links with the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore leadership.
He said such community leaders could play a significant role in resolving disputes, particularly because of their accessibility to people living in forest communities.
According to him, having trusted community leaders intervene early in disputes would help prevent minor disagreements from escalating to the police, Amotekun, or the courts.
He said the stakeholders therefore agreed to strengthen community-level dialogue and conflict-resolution mechanisms to ensure that peace continued to reign among the various communities in Ondo State.
Abdulkadiri stressed that the overall objective of the initiative was to encourage greater participation in the electoral process, foster unity among non-indigenous communities and promote peaceful coexistence while supporting efforts to combat crime and criminality in the state.
