Ruga Settlement: I will not dignify your quit notice threat to southerners with response — Atiku tells Northern Youth

Atiku Abubakar 

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the 2019 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to a threat issued by the coalition of northern groups asking Southerners living in the north to vacate if the federal government doesn’t rescind its decision to suspend the RUGA settlements for Fulani herders within 30 days.

The Federal government had proposed Ruga Settlement project which is believed to be a major solution to the ongoing clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country. But following uproar and rejection by states especially from the southern region of the country, the government decided to halt its plans hoping a better approach would convince Nigerians to welcome the initiative



But reacting to the news of its suspension, Northern group under the aegis of Coalition of Northern Group (CNG) had issued a 30-day ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari, to implement the Ruga policy across the country, warning that the group will resort to a line of action after the ultimatum.

The group had warned that failure of the Federal Government and Southern Governors to reverse the decision, there will be trouble.

My position on Ruga is the same as articulated by the Governors elected under the banner of my party, the PDP. My position has been well iterated by our Governors & the PDP is one. I will not dignify that threat with a response. There is no North or South. There is just Nigeria.

— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) July 5, 2019

Reacting, Atiku discarded the threat stating that, “there is no North or South, there is just Nigeria.”

Atiku on his Twitter page wrote: “My position on Ruga is the same as articulated by the Governors elected under the banner of my party, the PDP. My position has been well iterated by our Governors and the PDP is one.



“I will not dignify that threat with a response. There is no North or South. There is just Nigeria.”