Defence minister rallies Zamfara ex-officials for Tinubu’s anti-banditry war

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has rallied former political office holders and associates of his administration in Zamfara State to support President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to end banditry and other forms of insecurity in the country.

Matawalle made the call on Saturday in Kaduna at an interactive session with former members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, former commissioners, special advisers and other political associates who served under his administration between 2019 and 2023.

The meeting focused on security, political developments and the progress of Zamfara State, while also providing the former governor an opportunity to mobilise his political structure behind the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking at the gathering, Matawalle said the protection of lives and property remained the primary responsibility of any serious government, stressing that the Federal Government was determined to defeat banditry and restore peace to affected communities.

He said, “Security of lives and property is the major concern of every serious government in any country. That is why the APC-led administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has focused strongly on securing the nation.”

The minister said Tinubu had demonstrated strong commitment to tackling insecurity through his frequent engagements and consultations on security matters.

According to Matawalle, the President would not allow the security challenges facing the country to distract his administration from pursuing economic development, peace and national unity.

He said, “Mr President has continued to engage with stakeholders and security authorities because he understands the importance of security to the development of the country.”

Matawalle urged the former political office holders and other members of his political structure to take the message of the administration to the grassroots, particularly communities across Zamfara State.

He charged them to mobilise support for the Tinubu Again Movement and galvanise the people of the state ahead of the President’s re-election bid in 2027.

“I want you to go back to your various constituencies and continue to sensitise our people on the efforts being made by the Federal Government to secure the country. We must support every genuine effort to restore peace and security in Zamfara and other parts of the country. Without security, there can be no meaningful development”, he told the gathering.

The former governor also urged his supporters to remain united and committed to the political structure, saying collective support would be necessary to achieve the group’s objectives in 2027.

Earlier, leaders of the various groups represented at the meeting commended Matawalle for sustaining what they described as a strong political structure since his tenure as governor of Zamfara State.

They said the former governor had continued to command significant loyalty among his political associates despite his current national assignment as a member of the Federal Executive Council.

One of the leaders said, “We are here because of the confidence we have in the leadership of Senator Bello Matawalle. His political structure remains strong, and we are ready to work with him for the success of President Tinubu.”

The leaders pledged their support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, arguing that the success of the President would translate into success for them and their various political constituencies.

They also promised to take the administration’s achievements to the grassroots and mobilise support for its programmes.

“We will continue to sensitise our people and mobilise them to support the President. We believe that the success of President Tinubu is also the success of our people,” another leader said.

The meeting came amid continued efforts by the Federal Government and security agencies to tackle banditry and other forms of insecurity in Zamfara and other states in the North-West.