Group urges Tinubu to offload minister over alleged misappropriation, link with bandits

A support group of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu Youth Network (TYN), has called on President Bola Tinubu to seize the opportunity of his planned cabinet reshuffle to offload the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle from his cabinet and order his investigation over alleged misappropriation of public funds and ties with bandits in Zamfara State.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Kaduna, the Secretary General of the group, Yusuf Muhammad said there were so many allegations bordering on insecurity against Mr the Matawalle to justify his removal from the president’s ministerial team. Mr Matawalle was governor of Zamfara State from 2019 to 2023. The TYN stated that the welfare and security of the people of Zamfara State should be treated as paramount by the federal government.

The group claimed to have made several unsuccessful attempts to contact the leaders of the ruling APC regarding the allegations made by the current Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, against his predecessor, Mr Matawalle. Mr Lawal had in a recent interview with Channels Television claimed, among others, that a staggering N250 billion funds belonging to Zamfara state government was unaccounted for during Mr Matawalle’s tenure. The allegation was later denied by the former governor.

The TYN drew attention to various allegations of misappropriation of state funds and alleged link with bandits leveled against the former governor by his successor, Mr Lawal describing them as grave. The group stated further:

“These are serious matters that strike at the heart of governance, security, and the welfare of the people of Zamfara State and should not be handled lightly.

“We consider it our responsibility as youth to seek a thorough investigation into these serious claims to uphold the integrity of our party and our esteemed leader, the president. Failing to address these issues could hurt our party in the future.

“We want to emphasize that the issues at stake here are not just political problems. They encompass matters of life and death, economic survival, and the fundamental human rights of the citizens of Zamfara State, the Northwest, and Nigeria as a whole. This is why we are urging our esteemed leader, the President, to launch an investigation into the numerous allegations levelled against the state minister for Defence, Bello Matawalle.

“We must be concerned as loyal party members about these issues. Serious challenges and campaigns are underway across the country, targeting the hard-earned reputation of our leader, the president. Part of this is caused by the previous actions of people such as Bello Matawalle.

“The investigation we want our leader, the president, to conduct is not to castigate the State Minister for Defence, Bello Matawalle, but to safeguard the integrity of the All Progressives Congress and the president’s good image.

“It is imperative that Bello Matawalle be removed from his position and an investigative panel be formed to investigate the allegations. The state minister for Defence should clarify his connections with dangerous individual bandits.

“Kachalla Auwalun Daudawa is a bandit who abducted the Kankara students in 2020. There are heavy allegations that Matawalle bought a house for him in the Damba area of Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State.

“These are not abstract concerns. They represent actual, tangible violations of the rights of Zamfara’s citizens — the right to education, healthcare, economic security, and to live free from the constant threat of banditry and violence. It is precisely these issues that should be at the forefront of any reasonable Nigerian who means well for the country and our dear party.

“The claim that Matawalle “remains loyal to President Bola Tinubu and has the full trust of the administration” is quite concerning. Since when has loyalty to a sitting president become a measure by which an individual accused of associating with dangerous bandits should be unquestionably protected?

“Bello Matawalle is not the only minister in our government. Why is he the only one with so many questionable pasts and heavily surrounded by allegations? Why is it that nobody is accusing the substantive and senior Defence Minister, His Excellency Badaru, of involvement with bandits or any killer group? Any sensible person who has our party at heart must be worried.

“The Tinubu Youth Network (TYN) believes that where there is smoke, there is fire. In the interest of upholding transparency and fairness, we strongly urge Bello Matawalle to step down from his position and subject himself to a thorough investigation. This is imperative to ensure accountability and maintain the integrity of his person as a parent and a member of the biggest and greatest political party in Africa, the APC. ” Muhammad said.