A video has circulated on WhatsApp showing a news report with the headline suggesting that Abdullahi Ganduje, the former governor of Kano state and national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stated that the Fulani tribe is responsible for the instability in the Northern part of Nigeria.
The ten-second video shows a picture of Ganduje with the text which read, “Fulani tribe responsible for instability in Northern region – Ganduje”
Claim: Abdullahi Ganduje said the Fulani tribe is responsible for the instability in the North
Verification
The CDD War Room traced the content of the video to a news website known as iwitnesslive, where it was reported on May 9, 2024, that Ganduje made the statement at a recently held Fulfulde Poetry Competition which the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto organised. The Leadership Newspaper also reported the event.
According to the report, Ganduje attributed the instability in the North to climate change forcing the migration of herders to other parts of the country, and the mass illiteracy among the Fulani community.
“He (Ganduje) said the relationship between farmer and herder used to be symbiotic before. The Federal government is now reinforcing livestock system to settle herders in one place for their children to get education,” part of the report read.
Ganduje’s remarks highlighted climate change and mass illiteracy as factors affecting the Fulani community, which has contributed to the instability in the Northern region.
Verdict: Misleading
The CDD War Room confirms that Ganduje didn’t directly blame the Fulani tribe for the instability in the North as his statement only highlighted specific issues affecting the Fulani community and the region at large. The news headline misrepresents Ganduje’s remarks at the Fulfulde Poetry Competition.