Posted by Defense Minister Bello Matawalle has issued a challenge to all Northern appointees in the present government, demanding that they publicly support President Bola Tinubu or resign.
Notably, Matawalle urged Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who serves as the Special Advisor to the President on political affairs in the Vice President’s office, as well as other prominent figures, to publicly back the government.
This was in response to what he took as criticism of the federal government from Baba-Ahmed, the former spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF).
On Sunday, Baba-Ahmed wrote on Facebook that Matawalle would have done the Tinubu government a favor by outlining his accomplishments as minister.
This was Baba-Ahmed’s response to the minister’s characterization of the NEF as a burden on the north and a political paperweight.
The minister confronted NEF on the forum’s recent statement that the north is sorry they voted for the president in 2023.
However, Matawalle stated in a Monday statement that all appointees are obligated to support and defend the administration they are employed by.
Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former Spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum and current Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Presidency, took to his page to express a different position, which I find concerning given my stance on the recent attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Dr. Baba-Ahmed claims that I am being “ill-advised” for standing up to the unfair and baseless criticism of President Tinubu’s administration, which is making great strides to improve our nation’s economy and position it for the future. While defending the government in which I have the extraordinary privilege of serving as a minister, he implied that I might have done a better job.
We Northern appointees have a responsibility to speak out, be clear, and ensure that our administration is remembered for all the hard work and support it has received.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s work and accomplishments have been unfairly portrayed, and now is not the moment to remain silent. The only way out, according to Matawalle, is to stand up and be counted as government officials.