Matawalle: Smear campaigns against me are driven by 2027 political ambitions

Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence, says the growing attacks against him are driven by political interests threatened by ongoing national security reforms.

In a statement on Monday signed by Ibrahim Dosara, his media aide, Matawalle said he is facing “coordinated, malicious and politically sponsored attacks” aimed at undermining his integrity and contributions to Nigeria’s security architecture.

“Public service, especially in a nation facing complex security challenges, demands courage, consistency, and a commitment to truth,” he said.

“Over the past few weeks, I have watched with concern as false allegations and malicious narratives have been circulated about me by political rivals seeking to score cheap points.

“These individuals, motivated by personal disappointment and future political calculations, have attempted to weaponize sensitive matters of security for their political propaganda.”

Matawalle said those sponsoring the attacks are political figures seeking relevance and attempting to distract him from his duties.

“Attempts to drag my name into unrelated events are nothing but desperate political propaganda,” he said.

“The allegations are baseless. The agenda is political. The truth is clear. I have watched with restraint as political actors engage in smear campaigns, misinformation, and character assassination targeted at me. But the time has come to respond directly.”

He said banditry was an entrenched problem he inherited as governor of Zamfara and that his administration adopted structured and institutional responses to tackle the crisis.

“Banditry was not a problem that was invented under my watch. I met it during my tenure as Governor of Zamfara State; it was an entrenched crisis that had grown over decades,” the minister said.

“But as Governor, we did not sit back and cry over the poor situation. We brought to the table a seriousness in approach and structured institutional response to tackle the challenge, while working closely with the Federal Government, traditional rulers, and security agencies.”

Matawalle said his government established high-level security committees, intelligence structures and prosecution frameworks to curb banditry and illegal mining.

He said his administration sacked compromised traditional rulers and implemented disarmament programmes with the support of the military.

The minister said thousands of abducted victims were rescued and 11 Chinese nationals involved in illegal mining were deported during his tenure.

“These interventions speak for themselves. Anyone who attempts to distort this record is simply playing politics with the pain of innocent citizens,” he said.

Matawalle said Zamfara recorded over a year without major security incidents due to the measures implemented.

The minister said he faced intimidation over his role in securing the release of abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi.

“I received harassment and intimidation for insisting on saving those children. But I refused to bow to pressure. Humanity comes first. Those children deserved to live. And we succeeded,” he said.

The minister said those attacking him fear ongoing defence reforms and are driven by political ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections.

“My loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains total. I serve the Commander-in-Chief with sincerity and commitment, and he is fully aware of the value I bring to our national security efforts. No amount of propaganda will influence his decisions,” he said.

He praised security agencies for their professionalism in rescue operations.