President Bola Tinubu’s former South-east campaign spokesperson and current Chairman of Forum of Former Members of Enugu State House of Assembly (FOF-MENHA), Dr. Josef Onoh has reacted to the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) publicised regret voting for the president during the last general election.

Onoh in his reaction said the regret of the NEF is because the president chose a perfect northern running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima as his Vice President who they fear for his boldness, blunt submissions in every political situation and is nobody’s puppet which is against their selfish interests.

The reason the Northern Elders Forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu according to Onoh is because he appointed their North East sons to serve as ministers against their selfish interests:

Adamawa: Prof. Tahir Mamman. Minister of Education.

Bauchi: Yusuf M Tuggar. Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Bauchi: Ali Pate. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare,

Borno: Abubakar Kyari. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security

Gombe: Alkali Ahmed Saidu. Minister of Interior.

Taraba: Uba Maigari Ahmadu. Minister of State, Steel Development

Yobe: Ibrahim Geidam. Minister of Police Affairs.

Taraba: Sani A Danladi

The reason why the Northern Elders forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu is because he appointed their North West sons and daughters to serve as Ministers against their selfish interests.

Jigawa: Mohamed Badaru Minister for Defence.

Kaduna: Balarabe Abbas Lawal. Minister of Environment

Kano: Dr. Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure. Minister for state for capital territory

Kano: Abdullahi T Gwarzo. Minister of State, Housing & Urban Development.

Katsina: Ahmad Dangiwa. Minister of Housing and Urban Development.

Katsina: Hanatu Musawa. Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy.

Kebbi: Yusuf Tanko Sununu. Minister of State Education

Kebbi: Atiku Bagudu. Minister of Budget and Economic Planning.

Sokoto: Bello M Goronyo. Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation.

Zamfara: Bello Matawwalle. Minister of State Defence.

The reason why the northern Elders forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu, is because he appointed their North Central sons to serve as Ministers against their selfish interests.

Benue: Joseph Utsev. Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation

FCT: Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo the first FCT indigene to be nominated as Minister in 24 years and Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

Kogi: Shuaibu A Audu. Minister of Steel Development.

Kwara: Lateef Fagbemi. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Nasarawa: Imaan S-Ibrahim. Minister of State, Police Affairs.

Niger: Mohammed Idris. Minister of Information and National Orientation.

Niger: Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi. Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security.

Plateau: Simon lalong. Minister of Labour and Employment

Benue: Sen. George Akume. Secretary General of the Federation.

The reason why the Northern Elders Forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu, is because he appointed new Service Chiefs in the country and named former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, as his new National Security Adviser (NSA) against their individual selfish interests and they resent the fact that under Ribadu’s watch all the kidnapped students and citizens in the North were successfully rescued unlike what happened with the Chibok girls and I say ” shame on them!

The reason why the northern Elders forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu, is because he appointed Major-General C.G Musa Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as against their individual selfish interests.

The reason why the Northern Elders forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu, is because he appointed AVM H.B Abubakar Chief of Air Staff (CAS) against their individual selfish interests.

The reason why the northern Elders forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu, is because he appointed Lt. Col. Auwalu Baba Inuwa 177, Guards Battalion, Keffi, Nasarawa State.

The reason why the Northern Elders Forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu, is because he appointed Lt. Col. Mohammed J. Abdulkarim 102 Guards Battalion, Suleja, Niger.

The reason why the Northern Elders Forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu, is because he appointed Maj. Isa Farouk Audu (N/14695) Commanding Officer State House Artillery. Maj. Kamaru Koyejo Hamzat (N/14656) Commanding Officer, State House Military Intelligence.

The reason why the Northern Elders Forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu, is because he appointed Lt. A. Aminu (N/18578) Second-in-Command, State House Armament.

The reason why the Northern Elders Forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu, is because he appointed Hadiza Bala Usman Special Adviser, Policy Coordination against their individual selfish interests.

The reason why the Northern Elders forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu, is because he appointed Hannatu Musa Musawa, Special Adviser, Culture and Entertainment Economy and proceeded to appoint her as Minister and did not remove her during her NYSC controversies against their wish.

The reason why the Northern Elders Forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu is because he appointed Sen. Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel, Senior Special Assistant , National Assembly Matters (Senate).

The reason why the Northern Elders Forum regret voting for President Bola Tinubu is because he reappointed Yusuf Magaji Bichi a simple gentleman the DG DSS to serve another term in office based on merit against political interest which went against their selfish interests.

Their is so much to say but so little said, but if clearly these Northern Elders regret voting for Tinubu who clearly elevated their sons and daughters politically to the detriment of my South East region then it’s clear and obvious they hate the progress of the North and don’t speak for the North rather their voices and regrets belong “in the other room” and have no place or significance in 2027.

On the other hand the South East do not have any regret not voting for the president going by distribution of appointments by the current administration which has only reaffirmed their earlier perceived fears because never in the history of political transitions after the Civil War have they been so isolated like they are in the current administration.

It’s now a crime to be a South Easterners under the current political arrangement, they don’t even feel any form of political inclusiveness, they hold the least appointment in the current administration and the least since the end of the civil war. Even the appointees are more like diaspora representatives selected by a few privileged few with access to the Presidency at the detriment of the true supporters of the President in the region a truth they will do everything to hide from Mr. President.

As much as the Buhari administration wasn’t all that accommodating security wise for the South East, yet they felt more sense of belonging than what they feel currently.

I urge President Tinubu to look beyond the political merchants who give him false narratives of how the South East is supporting his administration including the various political defections by various South East politicians jumping into the APC, they are worse and not different from the Northern Elders Forum who regret voting for you they are only trying to reap where they did not sow and I urge you not to be fooled by their political horse trading.

The South East, despite being the worst beneficiary of the current administration yet paid a heavy price and contributed immensely to the victory of the President.

The political hatred being unleashed on the South Easterners openly and on all Social Media sites for voting for Peter Obi and on same foundation the reason why they are punished by not appointing even those who worked for the victory of the President is based on the baseless claims that they failed to give the President 25% but in reality they gave him a greater victory.

PDP remains the dominating Party in the South East and to prove same even APC serving Governors in the South East failed to deliver their state to the President.

But by ensuring Peter Obi’s Labour Party won the entire South East presidential elections, they robbed Atiku and the PDP from a victory that they would have taken and had it not been the victory of Labour Party the alternative would have been PDP which would have jeopardized the victory of President Tinubu hence I make bold to say that the South East gave you victory and rewarding us is not a favour but morally justified.

The Ministerial appointments with exception of that of Engr. Dave Umahi made by the President is not even recognised in the South East as the Ministers are totally detached from the People of South East and the states they represent and are more seen as social media South East BB Ninja representatives but unlike the Northern Elders Forum we are not complaining neither do they regret voting against us during the presidential election but today they accept you as their President and that’s more to say than the region you have given so much unlike us you’ve given nothing.

The South East’s highest political appointment is that of our illustrious sons the Chief OF THE NAVAL STAFF, VICE ADMIRAL EI OGALLA even that little grateful appointment they attempted to take it away but we are grateful you resisted their pressure and proved you are truly Mr. President. And Eng. Dave umahi who is making us proud.

Currently the political isolation of the South East in the current administration is so traumatising that the South East is now struggling with the South South to claim Barr. Nyesom Wike as their son and an Igbo man just to feel they are part of your administration. And I ask how hopeless can it get.

Finally, the issue of out-of-school children mainly in Northern Nigeria is a major concern for the Tinubu led administration, which has left countless young minds without access to education, the severity of this crisis, revealing the top three states grappling with the highest percentages of out-of-school children in the North with
Kebbi, Sokoto, and Yobe stand out with alarming figures, where 67.6%, 66.4%, and 62.9% of children aged 6–15 are out of school, respectively.

These numbers paint a grim picture of the educational landscape in the North which the so called Northern Elders forum are not interested in the progress of the young Northern children due to their selfish reasons.

It shows deep-seated challenges hindering children’s right to learn and succeed in Northern Nigeria which currently is what the President Tinubu Administration is making frantic effort to eradicate which is against the wishes of the so called Northern Elders Forum as they know, access to education will liberate the region which will make them lose their strong hold on the masses.

I urge the younger generations and Northern brothers to always remember that though we may have our differences, yet we have more that unites us than that which divides us and it’s the mentality and political vision of those who parade themselves as Elders in various forums whose political ideas and visions are no longer in line with the greater dreams of a greater united Nigeria that is our problem. I challenge the northern Elders forum to dare me and I’ll publish more positive achievements the Tinubu administration has and is still making towards the greater success of the north which they rather selfishly distributed amongst themselves to the detriment of our northern brothers and since Mr. President wouldn’t compromise they now regret voting for him. Let me remind this same elders that we learnt from the mistakes of former president Jonathan”s administration and won’t be fooled twice.

Igbos will continue to marry Yoruba and vice versa, Hausa, tiv, and all tribes will continue to inter marry, our problems is not in the union but in our morbidity to promote a better Nigeria.

Times are changing and we have no choice than to change with it. While the select few Elders that represent their own selfish interests try to sow the seed of discord between us and our president.

I urge every Nigerian to unite and stand with our President, we only have one nation, we only have one President and it’s our collective responsibility to ensure his administration succeeds for we all will be part of that success story and not Labour Party, PDP, APC etc but Nigerians.

Come 2027, let the achievements of the President determine his fate and not the disgruntled voices of a select few that’s being heard from “the other room.