Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), saying they are “political burden” to Northern Nigeria and “living in delusion.”
In a statement he personally signed, Matawalle said it is “unfortunate for NEF and its leaders to issue a statement regretting their support and vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because of the suffering in the land because of the President’s policies.
Calling such statement ‘reprehensible and naive,’ the Minister of State for Defence said the “NEF is more or less a political paperweight trying to embark on a destructive journey that will bring the North to disrepute.”
On Tuesday, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, Spokesperson of NEF expressed regrets that the region supported and voted for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 Presidential election. saying that going forward, the region will prioritize unity and consensus in selecting a candidate for the highest office in the land.
Suleiman, in an interview with The Guardian, said in part: “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,”
But according to the statement by Matawalle: “My attention has been drawn to the threats issued by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which is ‘reprehensible and naive’. It is preposterous for a group of people seeking political relevance to overburden the system and create political disunity among Nigerians.
“The so-called NEF is more or less a political paperweight trying to embark on a destructive journey that will bring the North to disrepute for the group’s personal and selfish gains .
“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 can not offer any positive idea or thought about the future of Northern Nigeria or, indeed, of Nigeria and its unity and togetherness.
“We all know 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?
“This same group of people have intentionally shied away from their responsibility of engendering unity in the North by appreciating the incremental development being brought to the North by Ministers appointed by President Tinubu from the North, especially North West. The NEF has not deemed it fit to seek audience with Mr. President to discuss issues affecting the Northern region despite the numerous challenges facing the North as rightly highlighted by the President and being addressed by him.
“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 programmes and actions.
“The majority of them are more interested in faulting the government so as to be recognised or accorded some relevance.
“Our region, the North, is united, disciplined and politically-driven enough not to listen and accept being teleguided by any group of elites who had fed fat in the past on the North’s resources and opportunities which had retarded development in the region and nation due to their selfishness.
“President Tinubu is poised to do a lot for the North as President of Nigeria, 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.
“Such a person or group is either blind or misguided and unable to see the new Nigeria that is emerging.
“Therefore, the NEF’s statement allegedly expressing regret for voting for President Tinubu is unfortunate.
“NEF is not more than a group that has refused to accept reality and is living in delusion. The truth is that the North is proud of its support and vote for President Tinubu and will continue to be proud of her relationship with the President given the enormous change and development his government has brought to the region.
“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.”
