Northern Ministers Reportedly Get Marching Orders Over Tinubu, Details Surface
- Marching orders have been reportedly given to political office holders of northern extraction to resell President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the region
- Earlier, the presidency urged opposition leaders attacking President Tinubu to wait till 2027 to test their popularity with the electorate
- Tinubu, serving as the 16th and current president of Nigeria since 2023, is considered in some quarters as the country's 'master strategist' when it comes to politics
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering elections, politics, and governance in Nigeria.
Kano, Kano state - Ministers of northern extraction serving in the administration of President Bola Tinubu have been mandated to defend the Nigerian leader.
As reported by The Punch on Sunday, February 9, the directive followed growing opposition in the political space, especially online and from some northern politicians.
Source: Facebook
As the dissenting voices enlarged, the newspaper said "credible sources" disclosed that the presidency gave marching orders to ministers and political leaders to move and counter critics.
Recall a former governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, and the national security adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, recently had a public spat over Tinubu.
El-Rufai said Ribadu was suffering “serious amnesia” or lying about never describing President Tinubu as corrupt during his time as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Via X (formerly Twitter) recently, El-Rufai posted a news item he said Daily Trust published in February 2007. The headline of this report reads: ‘We’ll frustrate Tinubu, Kalu, others — Ribadu’.
He also referenced records from a 2006 federal executive council (FEC) meeting, where Ribadu, as the then EFCC chairman, allegedly made similar allegations against Tinubu.
In response, Ribadu, through his lawyer, demanded a public apology and retraction from El-Rufai.
In the same vein, Yusuf Tuggar, the minister of foreign affairs, responded to criticisms of President Tinubu’s administration by Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed. Mohammed had particularly faulted the FG's proposed tax reforms.
Tuggar expressed surprise at Mohammed’s remarks, questioning the governor's moral right to criticise the federal government while accusing him of failing to effectively utilise the increased allocations to Bauchi state.
Source speaks on Tinubu's govt 'silencing' naysayers
Now, a strong ally of one of the two defence ministers said the northern leaders had orders to confront mounting opposition against President Tinubu.
The source said:
“Yes, we need to silence these naysayers. I’m sure that of recent, you have seen many of the ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet coming out to counter these oligarchs as you call them.
“They are in the minority and the president or the presidency is not afraid of them, but we too, and by this, I mean our political leaders, ministers, and holders of other top political appointments have been given the mandate and marching orders by the presidency to move to the campaign fields and counter the naysayers from the elites in the north.”
Realignment against Tinuby ahead of 2027
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the realignment of forces to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from power appears to be on the upswing.
Adebayo Adewole, candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 presidential elections, said Nigerians need a renewed mindset and not new political parties to sack President Tinubu and the APC through the ballot in 2027.
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Source: Legit.ng
