A group of supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of Tinubu Youth Network (TYN) has asked President Bola Tinubu to investigate the allegations levelled against Bello Matawalle, the minister of State for Defence, by Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal.
Lawal had in recent television interviews accused the minister of having links with bandit leaders, terrorising Zamfara State, including a notorious kingpin, Bello Turji, while serving as the governor of the state.
“If I were him (Matawalle) I would resign and face all the allegations against me because, from information we are getting, my predecessor was fully involved in some of the banditry,” the governor had said during an interview with TVC. Lawal also accused the minister of corruption and misappropriation of N70billion, stating that the matter had been with the EFCC for a year now.
Addressing a press conference yesterday in Kaduna, Yusuf Muhammad, secretary-general of the TYN, maintained that the allegations against Matawalle are serious matters that should not be handled lightly or ignored.
The group asked the minister to step down for thorough investigations into the allegations.
The APC youths stressed that failing to address the issues could hurt the party in the future.
Mohammad noted that in the interviews granted to some media platforms, “the Zamfara state Governor, Dauda Lawal, raised grave concerns about the issues he inherited upon assuming office.
“These issues include the accusation of sponsoring bandits and misappropriation of state funds by his predecessor and the junior Defence Minister, Bello Matawalle.
“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 youths to seek a thorough investigation into these serious claims to uphold the integrity of our party and our esteemed leader, the Ppresident.
“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.”
Mohammed urged President Tinubu not to ignore the accusations against the minister, stressing that as loyal party members, his group is worried about the issues.
According to the group, the allegations against Matawalle are a dent on the president’s administration.
Mohammad said: “The investigation we want the president to conduct is not to castigate the minister, but to safeguard the integrity of the APC and the president’s good image.
“It is imperative that Bello Matawalle be removed from his position for a panel to be set up to investigate the allegations against him.”
The group challenged the minister to “clarify his connections with dangerous individuals like Bello Tagoji, Musa Kamarawa, and Ardon Zuru.
Mohammed added: “The Tinubu Youth Network believes that where there is smoke, there is fire.
“In the interest of upholding transparency and fairness, we strongly urge Matawalle to step down from his position and subject himself to a thorough investigation.”
