Threat Not to vote Tinubu: Stand and Be Counted or Take Your Exit- Matawalle tells President’s Appointees from the North

Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle has called on political appointees from the North including Ministers and others, to speak up against the threats and intimidation of the Northern Elders Forum against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Recall that the NEF through its spokesman Abdulaziz Suleiman had stated that the North made a mistake in voting Bola Tinubu for the presidency in 2023 noting that the mistake will not be repeated in 2027 and that the North will go for a candidate who can unite the country, govern in the best interest of all Nigerians.

This prompted Dr Matawalle to fire back at the NEF stating that the threat by the group was reprehensible, naive and a political paperweight trying to embark on a destructive journey that will bring the North to disrepute, for their personal and selfish gains.

In another statement he signed of Monday, Matawalle said, “Consequent to my position on the recent attack on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by a spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), it has come to my attention that Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed who once served as the Spokesperson of the group and currently a Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Presidency took to his page to express a different position.

“According to Dr. Baba-Ahmed, my stand against the unjust and spurious attack against the new administration of President Tinubu that is working very hard to reposition our country and economy for better is ‘ill-advised’.

“He suggested I could have done a better job in my defence of the administration where I have the rare honour to serve as a Minister.

“Dr. Baba-Ahmed’s relationship and affinity with Northern Elders’ Forum(NEF) is well-known.

“The fact now is that he is an appointee of the administration as Special Adviser and it is incumbent on him to work for the success of the government he is part of, protect and defend the government against unjust and vicious attacks from those who hide under ethnic and other primordial interests to heat up the polity for myopic reasons

“It is pertinent to state that every appointee of President Tinubu including Dr. Baba-Ahmed owe the government a copious duty to promote, elucidate and advance the good works and commendable efforts of the government across all sectors.

“As appointees of the government from the North, we must all take a stand, be unequivocal and be counted in the roll of honours for our support and work for the success of the administration we are serving.

“This is not the time to keep quiet in the face of intimidation and misrepresentation of the efforts and achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We must stand up to be counted for being on the part of government or take our exit.”