Why criticism of Tinubu when you were silent on Buhari’s failures, Matawalle tackles Katsina elders

Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle has lashed at Katsina elders for criticising President Bola Tinubu and threatened his potential for 2027 re-election.

He wondered how the elders have suddenly woken up to criticism of Tinubu when they were silent on the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s many failures

In what he described as “reckless statement”, Matawalle condemned the Katsina Elders Forum who claimed to have issued the statement on behalf of Northern Nigeria without taking into consideration diversity of opinions in the region.

He said, Tinubu was concerned with the security of lives and property, and expected the Northern elders to align with him.

Matawalle, en route to a world conference for defence ministers in Riyadh and to perform lesser Hajj, expressed his dismay at the Elders’ selective criticism, questioning why they remained silent on Buhari’s failures, including security challenges and incomplete projects in the region.

He queried the legitimacy of the forum to speak on behalf of the 19 northern States on sensitive matters, stressing that they should rethink their position, and ceasefire.

He cautioned the elders not to stole tension, but to work towards a harmonious living in the over all interest of the country.

He stressed that President Tinubu’s agenda is national, focusing on economic development, security, and the welfare of all Nigerians.

His words: “Do Katsina Elders have the right to speak on behalf of Northern people? How can the elders who failed to support the President and their own, former President Muhammadu Buhari, to win Katsina State make such a reckless statement on behalf of Northern people?

“Katsina Elders have forgotten how they betrayed Buhari and President Tinubu by their failure to ensure that President Tinubu wins the majority of votes in their state in the 2023 presidential election.

“Is the protest by Katsina Elders during the 2023 presidential election against former President Muhammadu Buhari, who asked them to support President Tinubu, not embarrassing enough?

“Did the Elders forget that Allah says, ‘Power belongs to HIM and can give it to whoever HE wishes at any time HE so desires’?”

Matawalle further asked the elders why they did not ensure the former President completed the Abuja-Kano-Katsina road and the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport extension project before leaving office.

“Yet another question for the Katsina Elders is why they did not warn the former President to stop the carnage against the people of Northern Nigeria when banditry and other security challenges persisted.

“Why were the Elders silent on the failures of their own over terrorism and large-scale corruption?

“Let me also draw the attention of the Katsina Elders’ Forum to the fact that when former President Buhari’s Minister of Transportation decided to locate the Transportation University in the former President’s hometown, Daura, other Nigerians did not protest against that decision, as they believed it was in the interest of unity and peaceful coexistence of the country.

“I, therefore, strongly advise the Katsina Elders to think twice and stop heating up the polity, but rather concentrate on what binds Nigerians and Nigeria as an entity for the development of our dear country,” the minister said.