The Hausa/Fulani community in Cross River State has declared its support for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in the February 16 presidential election.
The group also threw their weight behind the party’s governorship candidate in Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, in the March 2 governorship election.
The declaration was made during an endorsement rally held on Friday in Calabar by the group.
Musa Mai-Gworo, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Non-Indigene Affairs, said the Hausa/Fulani community in the state all came to endorse Ayade’s second term bid.
Mai-Gworo said they came together to show their support for the presidential candidate of the PDP.
According to him, the group has come to the realization that an alternative administration is needed to fix the country.
He said: “If Atiku becomes the president, we would like him to work on the security of the nation because the present government has not performed well.
“With the support of the Governor Ben Ayade, I have traversed the nooks and cranny of this state where we ensure herders and farmers live peacefully.”
The Liaison Officer of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the state, Alhaji Abdul Jada, noted that the party machinery would support all the PDP candidates in the state.
Jada said: “I think the chances of Atiku winning this election is quite high because he has good intention to get back the country working again.
“He is a successful in businessman, a former vice president and has extensive capacity to lead this country.”
Malam Salisu Aba-Lawal, the Leader of the Hausa/Fulani Muslim community, said the ethnic group agreed to support Ayade because of his fair treatment of issues concerning non-indigenes in the state.
Abu-Lawal said: “We have been treated well in Cross River so we would be supporting the re-election of Governor Ben Ayade and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the forthcoming election.