The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has responded to reports of an alleged conspiracy to remove President Bola Tinubu from office during the 2027 elections.
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The former governor of Zamfara State made these remarks in response to the visits made by prominent figures such as PDP presidential candidate in 2023, Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former PDP chairman Ali Modu-Sheriff, to the Daura residence of former president Muhammadu Buhari.
Political analysts have interpreted these visits as an indication of an ongoing strategy by northern interests to undermine President Tinubu during the upcoming general election.
Speaking through the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence, Henshaw Ogubike, Matawalle described those behind the alleged plot as “unpatriotic politicians in the northern region”.
He accused such politicians of lacking grassroots support and having an “entitlement mentality.”
He asserted that northern politicians with strong bases firmly supported Tinubu.
The minister expressed confidence that the alleged plot would fail, citing the region’s substantial benefits under Tinubu’s leadership.
Matawalle highlighted key appointments of northerners in Tinubu’s government, including his own role as Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar as Minister of Defence, Atiku Bagudu as Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Muhammed Idris as Minister of Information and National Orientation, Ali Pate as Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Abubakar Kyari as Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Jamila Bio Ibrahim as Minister of Youths, Shuaibu Audu as Minister of Steel Development, Joseph Utsve as Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation and Yusuf Tuggar as Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as several ministers of state.
In the security sector, Matawalle mentioned the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Director-General of the Department of Security Service (DSS), Yusuf Bauchi, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and Chief of Air Staff, Hasan Abubakar, with the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, and the Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority, Bello Koko also being northerners.
Matawalle urged northern political elites to support Tinubu to further his Renewed Hope agenda and improve the country’s economy and politics.
