Wednesday, July 3, 2024 -The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has described Northerners plotting against President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections as ‘’unpatriotic' politicians.
Matawalle who is a former Zamfara
State governor, accused such politicians of lacking grassroots support and
having an “entitlement mentality.” He asserted that northern politicians with
strong bases firmly supported Tinubu.
His comments came shortly after
Salihu Lukman, a former national vice chairman (North-West) of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), rebuked northern politicians in Tinubu’s
administration. Lukman, who recently resigned from the ruling party, claimed
that northern politicians serving in Tinubu's government have been reduced to
mere sycophants and cheerleaders
In a statement issued on Matawalle’s
behalf by the spokesman of the Ministry of Defence, Henshaw Ogubike, the
minister expressed confidence that the alleged plot would fail, citing the
region’s substantial benefits under Tinubu’s leadership. He urged northern
political leaders to unite behind Tinubu to further his Renewed Hope agenda and
improve the country’s economy and politics.
Matawalle highlighted key
appointments of northerners in Tinubu’s government, including his own role as
Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar as Minister of Defence,
Atiku Bagudu as Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Muhammed Idris as
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Ali Pate as Coordinating
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Abubakar Kyari as Minister of
Agriculture and Food Security, Jamila Bio Ibrahim as Minister of Youths,
Shuaibu Audu as Minister of Steel Development, Joseph Utsve as Minister of
Water Resources and Sanitation and Yusuf Tuggar as Minister of Foreign Affairs
as well as several ministers of state.
He said in the security sector,
Northerners such as the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu,
Director-General of the Department of Security Service (DSS), Yusuf Bauchi,
Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai, Chief
of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and Chief of Air Staff, Hasan
Abubakar, with the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, and the Managing Director of the Nigeria
Ports Authority, Bello Koko, have benefitted from the Tinubu administration.
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