- Northern Elders: The North Won’t Repeat its mistake of Supporting Tinubu in future
- Minister: Northern Elders Burden To Northerners
By Ken Afor
The Minister of State for Defence, Mr Bello Matawalle and the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) have been locked in a fierce War of words following recent remarks by the latter expressing regret over supporting President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 general elections.
In a recent media interview, the spokesman of the NEF, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, had stated that the Northern region made a huge mistake in voting for President Tinubu in the 2023 general elections and proceeded to tackle Tinubu on many fronts.
Suleiman, while regretting the decision of the north, said that the region will be more careful in voting for a candidate who can unite the country and govern in the best interests of all Nigerians.
According to Suleiman, the region has learnt its lesson and will not repeat the mistake of supporting Tinubu in future elections.
“The North made a mistake in voting Bola Tinubu to the presidency in 2023, and it is unlikely that they will repeat the same error in the future.”
“They have learned from their past misstep and will strive to select a candidate who can unite the country and govern in the best interests of all Nigerians.
“Moving forward, the North will be more cautious in selecting a candidate for the presidency. They will prioritize someone who is seen as more inclusive, less controversial, and more aligned with the interests of all regions of the country.
“The mistake of supporting Tinubu in 2023 has taught them the importance of unity and consensus in selecting a candidate for the highest office in the land,” he was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, while reacting, via a strongly-worded statement, Matawalle, the immediate past Governor of Zamfara State, criticized the NEF for what he called “overbearing attitude” and alleged attempts to “erode other people’s rights” in their bid for relevance, despite the failure of their sponsored candidates in the 2023 general elections.
He said: “This NEF is more of a political burden to Northerners. The group is seeking to erode other people’s rights in order to be recognised or made relevant in the scheme of things despite the failure of their sponsored candidates in the 2023 general elections.
“In as much as many have overlooked them in respect of their utterances, it is pertinent to underscore their overbearing attitude on issues that affect political unity and cohesion. They cannot offer any positive idea or thought about the future of Northern Nigeria or, indeed, of Nigeria and its unity and togetherness.”
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR won the February 2023 presidential election convincingly. So, who is the NEF to want to undermine the president’s victory and even threaten to unseat him?” Matawalle questioned.
The minister accused the NEF of intentionally shying away from their responsibility to foster unity in the North, claiming they have failed to appreciate the “incremental development” being brought to the region by Tinubu’s appointed ministers from the North, particularly the North West.
Matawalle further alleged that the NEF has not sought an audience with President Tinubu to discuss issues affecting the Northern region, nor have they engaged with relevant ministers or security agencies to gain first-hand knowledge of the government’s programs and actions.
“The group is yet to visit any of the ministers dealing with issues of security, agriculture, water resources, police affairs, education, health, budget, foreign affairs, or any head of security agencies in the country so far for first-hand knowledge of government programs and actions.
“The majority of them are more interested in faulting the government so as to be recognized or accorded some relevance,” the minister asserted.
Emphasizing the need for unity behind the Tinubu administration, Matawalle stressed that the North is “united, disciplined, and politically driven” enough not to be “teleguided by any group of elites.”
He warned against underestimating President Tinubu, who was elected by all Nigerians, and advised the NEF and others to support the government and join hands with the president to move the country forward.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected by the people of Nigeria, not by one ethnic group or the other, therefore, anyone mistakenly seeing President Tinubu as a failure or a weakling is making a mistake and should rethink.
My advice to NEF and others alike, is to support the present government and join hands with President Tinubu GCFR in order to further move the country forward,” he added.
