Insecurity: New Twist As Tinubu’s Minister Is Told to Immediately Resign, “Divided Loyalty”
- A viral past video captured the Minister of State for Defence when he was the Governor of Zamfara, seemingly defending bandits terrorising his state
- The comment by Bello Matawalle was said to have been made at the State House, Abuja, after meeting the then-president, now-late Muhammadu Buhari
- Political stakeholders like Josef Onoh are calling for Matawalle's resignation because no alleged 'bandit sympathiser' is fit for the Defence Ministry
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering politics, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - Denge Josef Onoh, President Bola Tinubu’s former spokesman in the southeast geopolitical zone, has asked Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence and the former Governor of Zamfara, to resign.
Despite ongoing government efforts, Nigeria continues to face significant and multifaceted security challenges, including terrorism by insurgents, widespread banditry and kidnapping, and clashes between herders and farmers, all affecting daily life, business, and national stability.
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Tinubu asked to sack Matawalle, 2 names suggested as replacement amid insecurity in Nigeria
Source: Facebook
Matawalle’s role under scrutiny over past remarks
As recently reported by The Guardian, Onoh joined calls for Matawalle to step down, allowing President Tinubu to restructure the country’s security architecture with more competent leadership.
Vanguard quoted Onoh as saying:
"Muhammed Matawalle has served Nigeria in various capacities and may have contributions yet to offer in other areas of public life. However, the Ministry of defence, in the middle of a shooting war against terrorism, is not the appropriate place for him at this time, not after a video in which he unambiguously defended the same criminals our armed forces are mandated to eliminate.
"Accordingly, I respectfully call on Dr Matawalle to do the honourable thing: tender his resignation as Minister of State for Defence with immediate effect to avoid any perception of divided loyalty in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism."
Onoh added:
“Should he be unable or unwilling to take this step, I urge His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR - as Commander-in-Chief who has demonstrated zero tolerance for compromise in the war against terror - to relieve Dr Matawalle of his appointment without further delay."
Source: Facebook
Nigeria faces surge in violence
Legit.ng reports that what used to be episodic attacks have evolved into a sustained campaign of abductions, village raids and highway banditry that expose deep cracks in the country’s ability to protect its people.
Across many states, residents speak of fear as a constant companion, with travellers avoiding certain routes, farmers abandoning farmlands, and families adjusting their routines around the unpredictability of violence.
Security agencies, though making efforts, continue to appear overstretched and often reactive.
Attackers strike quickly, vanish into unmapped forests, and resurface in another location days later, with communities left grieving while government assurances rarely transform into long-term relief.
Who is state minister Bello Matawalle?
Matawalle has served as the Minister of State for Defence since 2023. He previously served as the Governor of Zamfara state from 2019 to 2023.
After briefly serving in the Sani Abacha-era state house of assembly and serving as a state commissioner from 1999 to 2003 in the Ahmad Sani Yerima administration in the Fourth Republic, he first won an elected office in 2003 as a member of the house of representatives for Bakura/Maradun and retained the office until 2015 first as a member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party before switching to the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in 2011.
Four years after losing his Bakura/Maradun Constituency seat in 2015, Matawalle became the 2019 PDP governorship nominee and won the office after a Supreme Court ruling disqualified the original winner.
In 2021, he defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) after a defection rally in Gusau alongside most Zamfara state elected officials.
Read more on the pervasive issue of insecurity in Nigeria:
- Top 10 causes of insecurity in Nigeria and solutions to them
- Insecurity: Tinubu issues fresh directives, makes demands
- Insecurity: Nigerian governor to establish state police
Badaru resigns as defence minister
Legit.ng earlier reported that Mohammed Badaru, the Minister of Defence, had tendered his resignation with immediate effect.
He announced his resignation in a formal letter sent to President Tinubu on December 1, 2025, citing some health reasons.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga thanked Badaru in a statement, confirming that his resignation had been accepted.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
