DETAILS have emerged on the reasons behind President Bola Tinubu’s decision to sack five ministers and leave the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, in his cabinet, despite allegations of banditry sponsorship levelled against him.
The ministers who were removed from office include Mrs Uju-Ken Ohanenye (Women Affairs), Lola Ade-John (Tourism), Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN (Education), Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim (Youth Development), and Abdullahi Gwarzo (Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development).
According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the decision to dismiss the ministers was influenced by public perception and empirical data on their performance.
Onanuga explained that the reshuffle came as a response to the critical views held by Nigerians regarding the ministers’ effectiveness in office.
However, sources within the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress hinted that the decision was also based on the “lack of political value” of the affected ministers in their respective states.
According to an APC chieftain at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, a key consideration was whether the removal of any of the ministers would incite political unrest in their states.
“They evaluated if their sack would lead to a crisis for the president in their regions, and the feedback was that it would not,” he said.
The source further noted that while some ministers were sacked due to underperformance, others were dismissed based on concerns over their conduct and limited political relevance.
Sources added that President Tinubu chose to retain certain ministers despite public dissatisfaction with their performance due to considerations around his potential second-term ambition and the political roles the ministers might play.
Some ministers reported to have equally underperformed included the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola; Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji; and Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev and minister of power, Adelabu.
Matawalle has been repeatedly accused of sponsoring banditry in Zamfara State, an allegation he has always denied. Onanuga also stated that the allegations against him were unproven.
An APC chieftain in Abuja disclosed that the president ultimately narrowed down the list of ministers to be sacked to avoid ‘political stress.’
“Initially, more than five ministers were considered for dismissal, but the president evaluated those who could be beneficial to him politically. The president is wise and would not create challenges for himself,” the chieftain remarked.
“Do you see the president sacking any former governors currently serving as ministers? He can’t do that because he knows they will be useful for him in 2027. Among them, only David Umahi, the Minister of Works, has truly performed,” the source added.
On why Oyetola was retained, he said, “Blood is thicker than water. He is the president’s cousin; it would be unreasonable to expect his dismissal.”
The source also pointed out the appointment of Bianka Ojukwu as a strategic political move to weaken opposition in the South-East zone since Ojukwu held a high stake in the All Progressive Grand Alliance, a party with high followership in the region.
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State alleged that the Minister of State for Defence, Matawalle, was being shielded by the Federal Government from accusations linking him to banditry.
Through his Chief Press Secretary, Sulaiman Idris, in a statement, Lawal accused Matawalle’s Federal Government connections of protecting him from scrutiny.
During an interview with Arise News, Onanuga explained that President Tinubu retained Matawalle because an investigation by the Office of the National Security Adviser deemed the allegations of banditry connections as “mere fabrication” and politically motivated.
However, Lawal’s spokesman disputed Onanuga’s claims, insisting the accusations were not politically motivated, as public security was at stake.
“When accusations of this nature arise, especially involving serious claims of bandit associations, the honourable thing would be for the officeholder to step aside. Effective investigations cannot happen while the individual remains in office, given their potential influence,” Idris noted.
He further stated that recent arrests of notorious bandits had prompted the governor to formally report the minister.
“We have arrested bandits who, during interrogations, provided significant information. A recent arrest led His Excellency to speak out after the detained individual was reportedly sent to Abuja for investigation but then released back to the forest.
“We even asked the NSA to question Matawalle about certain individuals and the events during the last Ramadan celebration in Tsafe Local Government, where Hilux vehicles carrying security personnel reportedly distributed food to bandits,” he added.
Governor Lawal also criticised Matawalle’s recent visit to Sokoto State in military uniform, claiming it was a display intended to avert his removal.
He added, “He did that because the cabinet reshuffle was imminent.
“There was no sincerity in his actions. Ask him why he hasn’t returned to Zamfara. If he says the governor would prevent him, it’s a lie. Following the Court of Appeal’s ruling on Zamfara’s election, he immediately visited the state, but he hasn’t returned since the Supreme Court’s judgment.”
Attempts to reach Ahmad Dan-Wudil, Matawalle’s media aide, for comments were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.