Senator Kabiru Marafa, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima 2023 Presidential Campaign in Zamfara State, has rebuked the assertion made by the Minister of State for Defence, Mr Bello Matawalle, regarding the Northern elders. Matawalle characterized them as insignificant and burdensome, which Marafa staunchly opposes,Daily Trust reports.
Marafa emphasizes that rather than disparaging the Northern elders, Matawalle should have highlighted the achievements and initiatives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the North and across the nation during the initial ten months of his administration.
He views Matawalle’s remarks as counterproductive and detrimental to the President’s efforts in addressing various challenges such as terrorism, insurgency, economic issues, and infrastructure development.
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Marafa underscores the importance of support, loyalty, and hard work from President Tinubu’s appointees to realize the Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at propelling the country towards progress and prosperity. He calls upon Matawalle to retract his offensive statement and promptly apologize to the Northern elders and the Northern populace.
As someone who has closely collaborated with President Tinubu, Marafa asserts that the President holds the Northern region, its people, and leaders in high regard. He clarifies that Matawalle’s remarks represent his personal opinion and not that of the President or the Presidency, urging people to disregard them.
Marafa concludes by affirming that the Northern elders are respected and valued members of society, echoing President Tinubu’s stance on the matter.
