Bello Mtawalle, Minister of state for defence.webp
The Digest:

Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle has accused a cabal of politicians of deliberately escalating violence to destabilise President Tinubu’s administration and thwart his 2027 re-election bid.

Key Points:
  • Defence Minister Bello Matawalle alleges politicians are “waging insecurity” to stop Tinubu’s potential 2027 re-election.
  • He claims the same strategy was used against former President Goodluck Jonathan in the lead-up to the 2015 election.
  • Matawalle links calls for his removal to an investigation he is leading into an alleged failed coup plot.
  • He stated the EFCC is probing politicians for investing in the plot to “topple the president.”
  • The minister defended his past negotiations with bandits in Zamfara, comparing them to the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.
  • He asserted that the peace accord led to the surrender of 2,000 arms, the release of captives, and the restoration of farming and markets.
  • Matawalle accused his successor, Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal, of leading a smear campaign against him out of political fear.
This accusation frames national security not just as a challenge of law and order, but as a theatre of political warfare.

Sources: Premium Times