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Middle Belt Forum Urges President Tinubu To Postpone Census
The Middle Belt Forum appeals to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to delay the census until the security situation improves.
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has addressed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, expressing their concerns about the ongoing insecurity in the country and urging him to postpone the census. The forum highlights the displacement of numerous Nigerians, particularly in the Middle Belt region.
In a statement released by Dr Pogu Bitrus, the national president of the Middle Belt Forum, attention was drawn to the recent visit of Chairman Alhaji Nasir Kwarra from the National Population Commission (NPC) to the Presidential Villa.
During the visit, it was revealed that President Tinubu would soon set new dates for the 2023 national population and housing census, which was previously suspended by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Middle Belt Forum strongly opposes the NPC’s position, considering the prevailing level of insecurity in the country, specifically in the Middle Belt region.
They emphasize that the success and accuracy of the headcount can only be achieved if the safety of citizens and overall security are guaranteed.
To conduct a population and housing census when certain territories have fallen under the control of foreign terrorists and millions of Nigerians have been displaced by ruthless criminals is unthinkable.
The Middle Belt Forum cites instances of terror attacks in Middle Belt communities where innocent citizens have lost their lives over the past decade, with no adequate support provided.
In Southern Borno, for example, Boko Haram has repeatedly assaulted communities, forcing residents to abandon their ancestral lands in search of safety. Tragically, many of these traumatized individuals have become refugees in their own country or neighboring nations, unable to return home for the past ten years.
States like Plateau, Niger, Benue, and Kaduna have also witnessed devastating losses, with thousands of people driven out of their ancestral territories.
Shockingly, foreign occupiers have even renamed these communities under the watch of security forces, demonstrating blatant illegality.
Despite widespread condemnation of the forceful eviction of citizens from their homes, the dream of displaced indigenous people returning to their communities remains elusive.
Recent events in Plateau State, where violence has resulted in the destruction of homes and the murder of hundreds of law-abiding Nigerians, highlight the ongoing threats faced by these communities.
Similar tragedies unfolded in Ukum, Benue State, where bike-riding terrorists claimed the lives of at least 30 people during a wave of terror attacks.
These relentless assaults in Plateau, Benue, and other states indicate a deliberate effort to drive out the indigenous population and seize their lands, while providing ruthless murderers with the opportunity to occupy their towns and villages.
Given these dire circumstances, the primary focus of the Federal Government should not be on conducting a population and housing census. Instead, the immediate priority must be to ensure the safe return of the millions of displaced persons across Nigeria, especially in the Middle Belt region.
Conducting the census without addressing the issues faced by internally displaced persons (IDPs) would be a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the true demography of a nation where citizens have been forcefully driven from their homes by foreign Fulani invaders.
While acknowledging the significance of a population and housing census, the Middle Belt Forum calls upon the Federal Government to prioritize resolving the security challenges.
This approach will prevent the occurrence of a census that could be marred by disputes and inaccuracies.
The Middle Belt Forum strongly believes that displaced communities living in temporary shelters must be able to return to their ancestral lands. They should not be left with a sense of abandonment, vulnerable to bloodthirsty invaders and criminals.
In the midst of ongoing conflicts tearing the country apart, it is unreasonable for the NPC to advocate for President Tinubu to set new dates for the suspended population and housing census.
The Middle Belt Forum urges President Tinubu to consider the prevailing security challenges and the plight of internally displaced persons before proceeding with the census.
The forum emphasizes that conducting a census during troubled times will only bestow legitimacy upon the vicious perpetrators of genocidal attacks on defenseless communities. To ensure a transparent and accurate headcount, it is essential to prioritize the restoration of order and the provision of adequate security for lives and property across the nation.
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Abubakar Yunusa
Nyesom Wike has described talks about a coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu as not sincere and believes those behind it are doing so for selfish reasons.
Wike, the Minister of the FCT, said this in Abuja on Friday during a media chat, accusing the masterminds of running away from issues bedevilling the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria’s main opposition party.
He said, “those who are looking for a coalition are for selfish interests, the likes of Atiku and other people, which coalition, with whom?
“Why not come in to repair your party? Everybody wants to become president of the country, nobody wants to say, look, let me build our party so that at the end of the day, our party will be in a formidable position as an opposition party to take over power.
“You don’t do that, the only thing you want to do is let me find a way; how I will be the one, and if that does not happen, then it’s to your tent, oh Israel,” the immediate past governor of Rivers state said.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, are among political heavyweights planning to float a coalition to dislodge President Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election.
That push has continued to make headlines in the country in the past months, but Wike said those behind it, especially members of the main opposition PDP, should fix their party instead.
Wike criticised Atiku, the arrowhead of the coalition movement, saying the ex-VP is about to make the mistakes that led to the PDP’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election.
“You make the mistake yesterday, you want to repeat the same mistake today, tomorrow you make the same mistake, and then you come out to say you were rigged out, who rigged you out? You’ve already rigged yourself by causing crisis,” Wike said.
The minister, who is a member of the PDP, also said the party is not ready for the next presidential election scheduled for 2027.
“The PDP is not ready for the 2027 election. It is very obvious. For instance, I have an examination and I am going to class to read. Indeed, am I reading? Am I studying? You don’t need to deceive anybody that you are reading. You are only trying to read so that people will see that you have carried your bag to class,” he said.
“That is the situation of the PDP. So, they cannot say for sure that they are ready for 2027. Power struggle cannot help the party.”
A prominent Northern Christian cleric, Isa El-Buba, has raised alarm over what he described as an ongoing genocide in Plateau State.
El-Buba alleged that foreign terrorists are colluding with some local herders to violently displace communities and occupy their ancestral lands.
“These are not the local herders that we used to know. These are Fulani terrorists who target communities. When these terrorists come in, they connive with some of the locals.
”They give them information. They come in from outside and they invade,” he said.
Speaking during an appearance on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Friday, a socio-political programme on Channels TV, the cleric strongly supported the recent assertion by Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, that the attacks in the state amount to genocide.
The Jos-based cleric, who hails from Borno State, while speaking on the recent killings on the Plateau, argued that the repeated and coordinated nature of the violence indicates a well-orchestrated plan to destabilise the region and ultimately reconfigure its demographic and territorial identity.
“Just like the Governor said: it’s a genocide. It’s not something that just happened. It’s been happening with several attacks in the past and recently, what has happened on the Plateau,” El-Buba said.
“You know very well that Plateau is cosmopolitan. It houses virtually all Nigerians. And if anything goes wrong with Plateau, everything goes wrong with Nigeria.”
He warned that Nigeria’s unity could be in jeopardy if urgent intervention is not undertaken.
“If there is no intervention, there is a bleak future for this country will stand together. We are actually in a very serious time in the history of this country.”
The cleric pointed to the disturbing reality that over 60 communities in Plateau have been attacked, their inhabitants killed or displaced, properties destroyed, and the attackers now living in the conquered communities.
“In some of the communities that were attacked—over 60 of them—the people who attacked those communities displaced the people, killed them, destroyed their properties and now occupy those communities. This tells you a lot about what these people are up to,” he stated.
He further alleged that the attackers feel emboldened due to perceived protection during the previous administration.
“In the past administration, these people felt it was their government. They felt protected. These people move with arms. I raised an alarm, called on the then president to speak to his own people in his own dialect.”
He emphasised that the violence is not being perpetrated by the traditional Fulani herders known to local communities, but by armed, foreign Fulani extremists with a deliberate plan.
According to El-Buba, the goal of these attacks is not random violence, but a larger ideological agenda to seize land and permanently displace the original owners.
“They have a programme, a plan, a mandate, and that mandate is that they must occupy and send the owners of the land away.”
His comments have sparked renewed calls for federal authorities to act decisively to restore peace, justice, and secure land rights in Plateau and other affected regions.
El-Buba concluded with a passionate appeal for national unity and decisive leadership to prevent further bloodshed and protect Nigeria’s fragile cohesion.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday asked Christians in the country to use the Holy Week and Easter to reflect on the enduring values of sacrifice, redemption, love, and hope.
The President made the call in a message he signed on Good Friday, two days to the Easter celebrations.
According to Tinubu, he was saddened by the recent insecurity in the country. He also directed security operatives to decisively end the insecurity without delay.
“The recent tragic incidents and the loss of lives in some parts of our country deeply saddened me. I understand the pain and fear these incidents have caused. Let me assure you that my administration’s resolve to restore peace and security remains unshakable. Forces of evil will never prevail over our country,” Tinubu said.
“I have given clear directives to the Armed Forces and all relevant security agencies to end insecurity decisively and without delay. With the unwavering courage and commitment of our gallant men and women in uniform, we are turning the tide and making steady progress in reclaiming peace and stability.
“As President of our blessed nation, I draw inspiration from this timeless message of hope and renewal. I remain steadfast in my commitment to delivering the promise of a Renewed Hope, a better, more just, and prosperous Nigeria for all.
“The Holy Week, which spans Palm Sunday through Holy Thursday and Good Friday and culminates in Easter Sunday, calls us to reflect deeply on the enduring values of sacrifice, redemption, love, and hope.”
The President also expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their “patience and resilience as our economy begins to show encouraging signs of recovery.”
“We understand the economic challenges many of you are facing, and we are working tirelessly to restore investor confidence, stabilise key sectors, and build an inclusive economy that serves the interests of all Nigerians.
“During this Easter, we join the global Christian community in thanking God for Pope Francis’s recovery. We pray that his renewed strength continues to inspire his leadership and service to humanity.
“I earnestly pray that Easter’s spirit fills every heart and home with renewed faith in the immense possibilities ahead of us as a nation. Just as Christ triumphed over death, so too shall our country triumph over every challenge we face. The present moment may be cloudy, but it will usher in a glorious day,” he added.