The Jukuns Development Association of Nigeria, JDAN, the apex Jukun socio-political organisation and other groups such as Jukuns Leaders of Thoughts, JLT, as well as women and youth groups have resolved to support Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Peter Obi, his running mate in the 2019 Presidential election slated for February next year.

Briefing newsmen after an emergency meeting of the leaders of the Jukun nation in Lagos on Friday, November 16, Bako Benjamin, the JDAN national president, said the endorsement followed “very wide consultation among our people.”

He said this is coming on the heels of what the Jukun nation has suffered in recent time, and the orgy of killings of thousands of innocent Jukuns in the hands of marauding herdsmen.

“We are bothered as a people and we have decided to take our destiny in our hands and make our stand concerning this very important election known to Nigerians and the rest of the world ahead of the coming polls,” Benjamin said.

He lamented that the Jukun people never had it tougher than they are presently going through in recent history.

He recounted how hundreds of his people were displaced, killed, and exiled from their farms and ancestral homes by marauding herdsmen, who also burnt down their victims’ farms without protection and support from the government.

According to him, the Jukun people are not happy that their homelands have been turned into a land flowing with blood of innocent farmers by marauding gun totting herdsmen. “Rather than sending words of sympathy, support and protection, soldiers were instead sent to shoot our youths who dare to defend themselves and their communities, arresting many unarmed youngsters and ignoring the murderous herdsmen who were provided cover while they made their escape with their guns.”

Benjamin said the Jukun were filled with high hopes when President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office having being helped by Theophilus Y Danjuma, a retired lieutenant general and their son, but we soon regretted when he stabbed us in the back with betrayal.

He said all Jukun will prefer to try Abubakar in the coming election and “we would massively vote for him at the poll.”