The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, came after Afenifere’s spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, for criticising his (Tinubu’s) suggestion that the Federal Government should take over unoccupied and isolated land in the country and convert them to grazing reserves as a solution to the incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen.
Tinubu had on Monday made the suggestion during a seminar organised by The Nation newspaper and TVC in Abuja.
But reacting to the suggestion on Tuesday, Afenifere, in a statement by Odumakin, warned Tinubu against playing politics with the lives of Nigerians, saying his suggestion was backward for modern-day Nigeria.
Odumakin said Tinubu’s suggestion was tantamount to an endorsement of the alleged call by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association that the entire country should be converted into a cattle colony.
However, responding to Odumakin’s criticism on Wednesday, Tinubu, in a statement by his media aide, Tunde Rahman, said the only deserving response to the Afenifere spokesman was that “he needs a cure for his seeming selective comprehension.”
According to Rahman, Odumakin did not read Tinubu’s full speech before attacking the APC chieftain.
He said, “Asiwaju Tinubu did not mention South-West in particular and what he said had a context to it: ‘Unoccupied, isolated land can quickly be turned into grazing areas in the affected states’.
“It is not only some states in the South-West that are affected but several states across the country. Why Odumakin suddenly gets hot under the collar may not be far-fetched.
“The usual frenzy and self-righteous mentality he portrays is on full display. Perhaps next time, he should read through the whole submission and caution himself from self-righteousness and displaying in full glare anarchical emotions.
“And if Odumakin’s delusion still allows him to read, perhaps a read through of the full chunk of what was said by Tinubu at the summit will educate him better.”
