The northern elders had said they regretted their decision to support Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence, has berated some northern elders over their recent criticism of President Bola Tinubu's administration.
The elders, under the aegis of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), announced during the week their intention to withdraw support for the president over security and other challenges in the country.
NEF said the North had learned its lessons, adding that the forum would prioritise someone who is seen as more inclusive, less controversial, and more aligned with the region's interest.
The northern elders stressed that they regretted their decision to support Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
But, reacting in a statement on Saturday, April 13, 2024, Matawalle described NEF as a political paperweight who has become a burden on the north.
The former Zamfara State Governor stressed that the forum lacked the authority to speak for the entire region as it doesn't represent the general opinion of northerners.
“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 cannot offer any positive idea or thought about the future of Northern Nigeria or, indeed, of Nigeria and its unity and togetherness,” the statement read in part.
