Tinubu’s Presidency: Defence Minister slams Northern Elders, describes forum as ‘political burden’

..Dismisses threats as ‘reprehensible and naive’

…Apply wisdom in National discourse, behave like elders — CCNG tells NEF

By Sodiq Adelakun and Austine Emmanuel, Kaduna

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, has condemned the Northern Elders Forum’s recent remarks regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Recall that the forum had expressed regret over their support for Tinubu’s policies and vowed not to repeat the same mistake.

Matawalle, in a statement released on Saturday, criticised the forum for what he described as seeking recognition from the government for relevance and living in delusion.

He dismissed their threats against President Tinubu as “reprehensible and naive,” emphasising that such actions only serve to 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,” Matawalle stated firmly.

He further labeled the NEF as a “political burden to Northerners,” highlighting the detrimental effects of their divisive rhetoric on the region’s political landscape.

The Defence Minister in the strongly worded statement said, “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.

“In addition, This NEF is more of a political burden to Northerners.

“The group is seeking to erode other people’s rights 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 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 an 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 has 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 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 to further move the country forward.”

…Apply wisdom in National discourse, behave like elders — CCNG tells NEF

Meanwhile, the Coalition of Concerned Northern Groups (CCNG) has strongly rebuked the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for its recent criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which is still in its infancy, being barely one year old.

Responding to NEF’s remarks expressing regret for supporting Tinubu in the 2023 general elections and threatening to withhold support for his potential second term in 2027, CCNG emphasized the unwise nature of such condemnation from an esteemed Elders Forum.

In a statement issued to journalists in Kaduna on Saturday, CCNG President Muhammed Ibrahim lamented NEF’s silence during the extrajudicial killings of hundreds of innocent Shi’ite members in Kaduna in 2015 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group highlighted the rise of banditry and other criminal activities during Buhari’s eight-year tenure, contrasting it with what they perceive as Tinubu’s commitment to national development and progress.

CCNG stressed that NEF’s critique of Tinubu’s presidency is unfair, especially considering Tinubu’s current popularity and goodwill among Nigerians.

The coalition urged for a fair assessment of Tinubu’s administration and called for unity and support for national development initiatives.

“The Coalition of Concerned Northern Groups (CCNG) finds it pertinent to respond to the recent ill-fated statement made public by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) wrongly depicting the president Bola Ahmad Tinubu.

“It baffles us that the NEF was silent when the former President Muhammadu Buhari regime killed  hundreds  of innocent men, women and children when it clamped down on Shi’ites Members in Kaduna in 2015. Were they not northerners that were murdered in an extrajudicial manner?

“Was it not during the Buhari regime that the banditry became more prominent in the Northwest, a situation that has virtually killed the farming profession in the region and destroyed lives and property. Yet the NEF never rose against that.

“We are hardly two years into this regime which started on a very difficult footing with many things to be put aright after being detracted by the immediate past regime. Hence, it will be un-elderly of an elders’ forum to demonize this regime instead of giving it the benefit of doubt.

“Reviewing the NEF claims that they mobilized the north in favour of President Tinubu, even as his major contender, Atiku Abubakar was a northerner, cannot be substantiated because they have no such influence over the electorate in the region.

“In comparison with the Buhari regime, the NEF is not fair to President Tinubu who is currently enjoying the goodwill of Nigerians because of his commitment to national development and progress.

“We wish to state categorically that the CCNG, a coalition of concerned Northern Groups, is passing a vote of confidence on President Bola Ahmad Tinubu while calling on the NEF to reconsider its stance in the interest of the north and the northerners.”