In an interview with DCL Hausa on Sunday, Mr Matawalle said violent attacks were employed against former President Goodluck Jonathan in the run-up to the 2015 general election.
The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has alleged that a cabal of politicians is deliberately exploiting and “waging insecurity” to destabilise the administration of President Bola Tinubu and stop his potential 2027 re-election bid.
In an interview with DCL Hausa on Sunday, the minister said the alleged strategy was employed against former President Goodluck Jonathan in the run-up to the 2015 general election.
He also claimed that the same individuals were involved in a “failed plan to topple the government” using the military.
He linked the escalating calls for his removal from office directly to a desperate effort to obstruct a high-profile investigation he is leading into the alleged failed coup.
“The real reasons behind this campaign for my removal from the office… Those spearheading this campaign are involved in a failed plan to topple the government, and I am among the team that is investigating them,” Mr Matawalle stated.
He said the investigation includes tracing the contacts of those “colluding with some unpatriotic Nigerians” and that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is probing some of the politicians for allegedly investing heavily in the plot to “topple the president.”
The minister also said his pivotal role in the recent release of abducted schoolgirls in Birnin Kebbi fueled the campaign for his removal.
He speculated that his detractors wanted to use security incidents as a political campaign tool against President Tinubu, mirroring the 2015 playbook.
Peace dialogue in Zamfara State
Mr Matawalle is currently facing intense scrutiny and demands for his dismissal over his actions while serving as Governor of Zamfara State (2019-2023), particularly his alleged facilitation of banditry.
Addressing the accusations, the minister challenged his accusers to substantiate their claims with evidence and take him to court, stating they should “stop the baseless allegations or be ready to pay damages.”
He defended his negotiations with bandits in Zamfara, comparing them to the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme brokered during the administration of the late President Umaru Yar’adua.
He noted similar peace processes in Katsina and Niger States, with positive results now being observed in Kaduna State.
Mr Matawalle stated that the Zamfara peace accord with the bandits had the approval of the federal government under the late President Muhammadu Buhari and the consent of all local stakeholders, including traditional rulers and clerics.
He cited its success in the surrender of approximately 2,000 arms, the unconditional release of several captives, including expatriates, and the return of farming and the reopening of markets across the state.
He said the peace initiative also led to the official constitution of a committee that indicted and resulted in the dethronement of some emirs and traditional leaders for their involvement in the crisis.
Clash with successor
The minister singled out his successor, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, as a key figure in the smear campaign.
Mr Matawalle said Governor Lawal views him as a political threat ahead of the next election. “My successor believes that the only way he can get re-election is to engage in these smear campaigns,” he stated.
He reiterated his innocence, recalling that he had publicly sworn with the Holy Qur’an that he had no hand in Zamfara’s insecurity.
He stressed that even if he is removed from his post, the crucial investigation into the alleged saboteurs will continue.
When contacted, the spokesperson for Zamfara Governor Suleiman Bala stated that his principal had no involvement in any campaign against the minister.
Credit: Premium Times