Tinubu holds Northern elders in excessive esteem- Marafa

A former lawmaker who represented Zamfara Central senatorial district within the Seventh and the Eight Senate, Kabiru Marafa, has countered the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, stating that Northern elders are neither a burden nor paperweights in any respect.

He additionally stated that President Bola Tinubu holds “the North, the Northerners, and their leaders in excessive esteem.”

Matawalle in his assertion titled ‘Tinubu Presidency: Northern Elders Discussion board, a political burden to the North, they don’t converse for the area,’ depicted the Northern Elders as insignificant and burdensome to the nation.

Marafa in his response stated labelling the elders of the area, who contributed considerably to President Tinubu’s victory in such a method was counterproductive and disrespectful to the president’s efforts in tackling numerous challenges resembling terrorism, insurgency, financial discrepancies, and infrastructural degradation.

Marafa urged the minister to retract his offensive remarks and lengthen an apology to the Northern elders and the Northern populace at massive.

He stated, “Within the final week, I’ve been inundated with calls from well-meaning and outstanding stakeholders in our area and celebration, the APC, who know my relationship with the President.

“They’re anxious and disturbed that the unlucky assertion by the Minister of State for Defence, if not addressed, might have an effect on the president’s electoral fortunes in our area as a result of will probably be seen as if the minister spoke the thoughts of the president or the Presidency.

“The crux of the matter is that; whether or not you want them or not these persons are referred to as Northern Elders, so, until they’re stripped of that title by the individuals of the area, insulting them is tantamount to insulting your complete individuals of the area.”

Senator Marafa added, “Insulting elders will not be in our tradition and upbringing. No first rate society will check with its elders as a burden and paperweights. The North will not be an exception.

” As one of many senators who labored very intently with Asiwaju as celebration chief (as he was then referred to as) from the formation of APC by way of the primaries that led to the emergence of Basic Muhammadu Buhari as APC presidential candidate in Lagos, the politics of the Nationwide Meeting management in 2015 and 2019 and the processes and intrigues that characterised the 2023 Presidential Primaries, I can say with out mincing phrases that President Tinubu holds the North, the Northerners, and their leaders in excessive esteem.

“Though I’m not the mouthpiece of both the President or the Presidency, as a Northerner and an elder within the area, as an APC stakeholder and one which has labored intently with each the President and the Vice President, I need to state categorically that this view expressed by Mr Matawalle is his private opinion and never in any method that of Mr President or the Presidency, and may, due to this fact, be disregarded.”

“I do know for certain that the North, Northerners, and the Northern elders are neither a burden nor a paperweight within the scheme of issues within the area and the nation as a complete. The president shares this view, and due to this fact he’s with me on this,” Senator Marafa concluded.