Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has responded to claims of a purported scheme to remove President Bola Tinubu from power in the upcoming 2027 elections.
In response to the visits made by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 elections, Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, and Ali Modu-Sheriff, the former chairman of the PDP, to the Daura residence of ex-president Muhammadu Buhari, the former governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, expressed his views.
According to political analysts, the recent visits by Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, and Ali Modu-Sheriff to former president Muhammadu Buhari’s Daura residence have been interpreted as a potential indication of an ongoing conspiracy by northern politicians against President Tinubu in the upcoming general election.
Bello Matawalle, the former governor of Zamfara State, expressed his opinion on the matter through the Ministry of Defence spokesperson, Henshaw Ogubike, referring to the individuals involved in the alleged plot as “disloyal politicians from the northern region.”
Matawalle criticized the politicians involved in the plot against Tinubu, saying they have no grassroots support and feel entitled. He stated that Tinubu is strongly supported by northern politicians who have a solid base. The minister expressed confidence that the plot will fail, highlighting the positive impact Tinubu’s leadership has had on the region.
Matawalle pointed out important appointments of northerners in Tinubu’s government, which include his own position 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, along with several ministers of state.
Matawalle mentioned key figures in the security sector, such as 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. He also highlighted Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and Bello Koko, the Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority, as northerners.
He urged northern political elites to support Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda for the country’s economic and political improvement.
