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From Paul Orude, Bauchi
The chairman of the Conference of Autochthonous Ethnic Nationalities Community Development Associations (CONAECDA), Bauchi State chapter, Hon Samuel J Haruna, has charged indigenous ethnic groups in the state to close ranks and vote strategically in the 2027 general elections.
Haruna gave the charge on Saturday at the Toro Local Government headquarters during a sensitisation programme on voter participation and security proactiveness, attended by traditional rulers and representatives of no fewer than 48 ethnic nationalities in the area.
“Any politician who comes to campaign with us, we will sit with them and know what plans they have for us and what they want to do to better our lives. No politician will just come and give our people money for us to elect him, and after election we won’t see him again,” Haruna, a former chairman of the Bauchi State Christian Pilgrims Board, said.
“That is why we are sensitising our ethnic groups who are the minorities to close ranks and be united as one, and to ensure that they register and get their voter cards to participate,” he added.
Haruna announced that the sensitisation would be taken across the state, beginning with Toro because of its large concentration of minority groups.
“On 5 November, we will proceed with the sensitisation to Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro LGAs, but since Toro has a large number of minority ethnic groups, over 48, we decided to kick off from here,” he said.
He identified disunity and the politics of division as major obstacles to minority progress. “There is a lack of unity among us, and there are many divide-and-rule tactics being used by politicians in the name of religion and ethnicity, and this hinders our progress because we need to unite above religion and ethnicity,” he stated.
“What we want from them is to unite for victory and try to resolve disputes on land, farming and others, and come out in large numbers to vote, but must ensure they get commitments from those seeking elective offices during campaigns.”
In his welcome address, the chairman of CONAECDA’s Toro LGA branch, Mallam Bala Inusa, said the gathering was aimed at awakening the consciousness of minority groups.
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“We are here to create awareness that our people must be sensitive to be aware of voting and their rights. They should get their voter cards to participate and make contributions,” Inusa said.
A former state chairman of CONAECDA, Alhaji Abdullah Hassan, alleged that from 1976 to date, since the creation of Toro, only a Fulani or Hausa has been elected, even though minority populations make up 60 per cent of Toro.
“We need to be united to produce a candidate in elections. This is the only way out,” Hassan said, warning that selfish interests would further divide the minority groups. He urged residents to obtain their permanent voter cards and exercise their rights.
Engineer Joshua Titus Sanga, patron of the coalition of ethnic groups in Toro, said the gathering was informed by the need to strengthen an institution that had existed for long but had been weakened by division.
Sanga identified land disputes as a source of disunity, adding that sensitisation meeting will bring “us together to know that we are one, to see how we can develop Toro and Bauchi State”.
Sanga, however, clarified that the coalition was not fighting majority ethnic groups but seeking inclusiveness.
“The tribal minority should also have their own say, that we also need our space so that we can grow, our children can grow, get employment, political offices, and not that we will be sidelined,” he said.
He said the current political representation in Toro does not reflect its demographic reality.
“Even when you look at the present situation, our senator is from Toro LGA but not a tribal man, the representative at the House is not a tribal man, the commissioner from Toro is not a tribal man, the LG chairman, the deputy LG chairman, even the councillorship, all are not tribal persons, despite Toro being more than 60 per cent ethnic minorities. So we are really not being represented, and that is the call to give us space from the LG to the state as the law has given us right.”
“We are appealing to the leadership to go with us. We want inclusiveness in governance so that the society will be happy and there will be more peace.”
