Tinubu’s Northern appointees must take a stance or quit, Matawalle replies Hakeem Baba-Ahmed
The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle has declared that all appointees of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the North need to take a stance and show their unwavering support for the administration to contribute to its success.
According to Matawalle, now is not the moment to hesitate or give in; each appointee must rise to support the government or leave.
Dr Matawalle stated this in response to a comment by the Special Adviser to the Vice President on Political Matters, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed condemning Dr Matawalle’s reaction to the statement credited to the Northern Elders’ Forum, describing the minister’s response as ‘ill-advised.’
Matawalle had lambasted the Northern group for saying it regretted voting for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election and that it would not do so again in 2027.
But criticizing Matawalle in the post on his X handle, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed wrote, “Scathing criticism of NEF by junior minister of defence, Matawale, is ill-advised. He could have done a better job for this admin if he identified contributions of especially northern ministers and other appointees like me to improving security and reducing poverty in the North.”
Reacting to this, Matawalle said it is common knowledge that Dr Baba-Ahmed has a close relationship or affinity with the Northern Elders’ Forum but, now that he is a Special Adviser in the Tinubu-led administration, he, like every devoted appointee must support the government and shield it from unfair attacks by those seeking to inflame the political climate using their ethnicity or other fundamental interests as a cover.
Matawalle said, “It is more important to state that every appointee of President Tinubu including Dr. Baba-Ahmed owes the government a duty to promote and advance the good work 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 in our support and work for the success of the administration we are serving. This is not the time to dither and waiver. We must stand up to be counted for the government or take our exit,” Matawalle stressed.
