The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has faced opposition from the North Eastern Youths Advocacy for Peace and Development due to their threat to oppose President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection in 2027.
In a statement released by Salahudeen Shuaibu, the group’s convener, the group criticized the northern elders for their antagonistic behavior toward the Tinubu presidency, calling it regrettable and a deliberate attempt to deflect attention from the president’s duties.
The group stated that Tinubu has put forth a great deal of effort since taking office to enhance education, strengthen agriculture, rebuild the nation’s economy, and mend the country’s damaged reputation abroad.
Salahudeen declared that the president’s actions should be applauded rather than denounced, and he issued a warning that the young people in the geopolitical region would not put up with any more mudslinging and insults aimed at the president.
Additionally, the group asked northern leaders to refrain from making derogatory remarks about the nation and instead make constructive recommendations that will aid in its growth. They issued a warning, saying that it is not in anyone’s best interests to damage the nation’s and the country’s president’s reputations.
Nonetheless, the group backed Muhammad Bello Mattawalle, the country’s defense minister, when he described the Northern Elders Forum as a group of powerful politicians with little actual political influence in the north and, by extension, the country.