Farmers in Edo praise Obaseki’s agricultural development initiatives and dispute claims that they support the APC’s presidential candidate.

That impostor Bako Dogo can’t speak for AFAN is nonsense, as stated by the real AFAN.
Governor Godwin Obaseki has been praised by Joel Usiagu, the chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Edo State, for his assistance to the state’s farmers. Governor Obaseki’s administration has enacted several agricultural development initiatives that have changed the lives of farmers in the state.

The leader of a farmers’ group in Nigeria denied in an address to reporters in Benin City that his group had backed the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming general elections.

A candidate has not been approved by the association, he said, and the purported backer, Bako Dogo, remains suspended and so unable to speak on the organization’s behalf.

He stated, “Alhaji Bako Dogo is not the head of the Edo State chapter of the association, hence he has no authority to speak for farmers in the State.” The group has temporarily removed him from membership. Because he has any moral fibre, we can no longer associate with him.

If a political party or candidate wants AFAN’s backing, they need to come to the association’s secretariat and present us with manifestos outlining their goals to advance AFAN. We’re OK without your financial support; show us what you’ve got.

Usiagu gave credit to the Obaseki administration for its agricultural development programmes, saying, “The Edo State Government under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki has supported 1,376 smallholder farmers with inputs under the independent farmers initiative; constructed warehouses for farmers; supported 1,305 and 1,903 farmers in 2020 and 2021 respectively in the crop, livestock, and fisheries production; established market access for farmers and agribusinesses; and established a farmers’ cooperative.”

“The state government has also developed over 1,050 hectares of land across the three senatorial districts of the state for cluster farming,” he continued, “distributed 50,000 cashew seedlings and 10,000 cocoa seedlings to Edo farmers; supported 20 beneficiaries in the mushroom enterprise; attracted agro investors including Saro Africa, ARPN, Agripalm, Fayus, among others.”

Usiagu also warned the public not to believe Bako’s assertions that he is the association’s chairman.