The minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle has said the Northern Elders Forum is a burden to the region.
He stated this while reacting to reports attributed to the forum against President Bola Tinubu stressing that the group is a mere “political paper weight” on the destructive journey seeking relevance.
The group had said they made a mistake by voting Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election and would not repeat it in 2027.
But the minister described the statement as “reprehensible and naive,” adding that they are “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,” the minister said.
He said members of the group were exhibiting overbearing attitude on issues that affect political unity and cohesion of the country.
“They cannot offer any positive idea or thought about the future of Northern Nigeria or, indeed, of Nigeria and its unity and togetherness,” he added.
The minister said it was glaring that President 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 region, 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 region 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 firsthand knowledge of government programmes and actions.
“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,” he stated.
Matawalle said 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.”
He, therefore, described the NEF’s statement expressing regret for voting for President Tinubu as “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 in order to further move the country forward,” he added.