Senator Marafa counters Matawalle, says Tinubu holds Northern Elders, northerners in high esteem

A former senator who represented Zamfara Central district between in the 7^th 8^th senate, Sanator Kabiru Marafa, has countered the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, over what he described as reckless statement, depicting Northern elders as a burden.

The former lawmaker said President Bola Tinubu holds “the North, the Northerners, and their elders in high esteem.”

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First Post reports that Matawalle had in a statement titled ‘Tinubu Presidency: Northern Elders Forum, a political burden to the North, they do not speak for the region,’ described Northern Elders as burden and paperweight.

But while reacting to the statement, Senator Marafa said “Northern elders are neither a burden nor paperweights whatsoever.”

“In the last one week, I have been inundated with calls from well-meaning and prominent stakeholders in our region and party, the APC, who know my relationship with the President.

“They are worried and disturbed that the unfortunate statement by the Minister of State for Defence, if not addressed, could affect the president’s electoral fortunes in our region because it will be seen as if the minister spoke the mind of the president or the Presidency,” he said, adding that The Northern Elders Forum are elders in the region, and insulting them is not in the culture of the northerners.

“Although, I’m not the mouthpiece of either the president or the Presidency, as a Northerner and an elder in the region, as an APC stakeholder and one that has worked closely with both the president and the Vice President, I want to state categorically that this view expressed by Mr Matawalle is his personal opinion and not in any way that of Mr President or the Presidency, and should, therefore, be disregarded.

“I know for sure that the North, Northerners and the Northern elders are neither a burden nor a paperweight in the scheme of things in the region and the country as a whole. The president shares this view, and therefore he is with me on this,” Senator Marafa concluded.