The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has lambast the Northern Elders Forum,NEF, over “we regret voting Tinubu’ comment, saying the group is inconsequential and living in delusion.

The NEF had during the week announced plans to withdraw support for Tinubu over insecurity and other challenges in the North.

But in a statement on Sunday, the Minister said the threats issued by NEF to President Bola Tinubu shows it was delusional and that the group has become irrelevant but only being desperate to be recognised.

He further described the NEF as more or less “a political paperweight” which he asserted is “trying to embark on a destructive journey that will bring the North to disrepute for the group’s personal and selfish gains.”

The statement reads in part “This NEF is more of a political burden to northerners. The group is seeking to erode other people’s rights to be recognised or made relevant in the scheme of things despite the failure of their sponsored candidates in the 2023 general elections.

“In as much as many have overlooked them in respect of their utterances, it is pertinent to underscore their overbearing attitude on issues that affect political unity and cohesion. They cannot offer any positive idea or thought about the future of northern Nigeria or, indeed, of Nigeria and its unity and togetherness.

“President Tinubu is poised to do a lot for the North as President of Nigeria, elected by the people of Nigeria, not by one ethnic group or the other, therefore, anyone mistakenly seeing President Tinubu as a failure or a weakling is making a mistake and should rethink.

“Such a person or group is either blind or misguided and unable to see the new Nigeria that is emerging. Therefore, the NEF’s statement allegedly expressing regret for voting for President Tinubu is unfortunate. NEF is not more than a group that has refused to accept reality and is living in delusion.”