Katsina State - Former Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, has criticized the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for expressing regret over their support for President Bola Tinubu. Masari contends that the endorsement was based on expectations rather than principles.
In a recent interview with Daily Trust, Masari emphasized that the NEF's regret, voiced less than a year into Tinubu’s administration, reveals that their support was conditional on immediate results. He argued that it is premature to pass harsh judgments on the administration at this early stage.
Masari highlighted that the removal of the fuel subsidy, which has led to widespread economic hardship, was a campaign promise made by all leading presidential candidates in the 2023 election, not just Tinubu.
"Those now regretting their support for Tinubu did so based on expectations. When these expectations were not immediately met, they expressed regret,"
Masari stated. He added that his own support for Tinubu was grounded in principles, and criticized the rush to judgment on the new administration.
Masari also noted that Nigeria’s current economic challenges are not unique to the country. Addressing criticisms from opposition figures such as PDP's Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party's Peter Obi, he argued that they too would have faced similar difficulties had they won the election. He reminded that all political parties had campaigned on the promise to remove the fuel subsidy.
He called on Nigerians to trust the process, noting that President Tinubu is aware of the nation's struggles and is committed to addressing them.
The NEF had previously stated that voting for Tinubu in 2023 was a mistake, a sentiment that sparked various reactions, including criticism from Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.
