Immediate-past former governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has accused the administration of late former President Muhammadu Buhari of pursuing what he described as an “evil agenda” against the Nigerian people during its time in power.
Ortom, who governed Benue State from 2015 to 2023, made the allegation during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Monday, where he reflected on his experience holding political office under Buhari’s federal leadership.
Asked whether he faced frustration while in office during Buhari’s tenure, Ortom responded emphatically, “Of course, I’ve said it. It wasn’t hidden and I have raised the alarm several times.”
He pointed to several controversial policies initiated by the Buhari administration, including the cattle colony initiative, the RUGA settlement scheme, and the livestock development programme, claiming that they were deliberately crafted to serve a hidden agenda.
“They brought different programmes to execute the evil agenda that the then-government had on Nigeria,” Ortom said.
“Be it RUGA, be it cattle colony, be it livestock development programme, all those things were just a camouflage to deceive Nigerians and I raised an alarm.”
The former governor, a vocal critic of the late Buhari’s administration, reiterated that he consistently opposed the initiatives, which he believed were attempts to forcefully introduce a pro-herdsmen agenda across the country, particularly in states like Benue that had passed anti-open grazing law.
“Each time they brought it, I stood against it and it’s unfortunate they never listened,” he added.
Ortom’s comments have reignited debate around the Buhari-era livestock reforms, many of which were met with strong resistance in the Middle Belt and southern regions. Critics of the programmes argued that they were biased in favour of pastoralists and failed to address the wider crisis of insecurity and land rights.
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