The minister of state for defence and former governor of Zamfara state, Bello Matawalle, has challenged political appointees of the federal government from Northern Nigeria to either support President Bola Tinubu or relinquish their positions.
Matawalle made the call after an appointee of President Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former spokesperson for the northern elders’ forum (NEF) who currently serves as the special adviser on political matters to the president, countered the minister’s defence of the Tinubu administration.
The minister had slammed the NEF for saying it regretted supporting Tinubu in the 2023 general election, He described the NEF as a “political paperweight” and “political burden” on the north.
This comment, however, did not appear to sit well with Baba-Ahmed, and in a statement posted to social, he said Matawalle was ill-advised and should have presented a better foil for the administration.
Firing back, Matawalle released a statement on Monday, saying as an appointee of the current administration, Baba-Ahmed needs to work towards its success and protect it from unwarranted criticism rooted in ethnic or narrow interests.
The minister said “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, Matawalle said “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.”
He stressed that this is not the time to keep quiet in the face of intimidation and misrepresentation of the efforts and achievements of President Tinubu.
“We must stand up to be counted for being on the part of government or take our exit,” Matawalle declared.
