The Niger Delta Youth Congress (NDYC) has sounded a loud and urgent alarm over what it describes as a “coordinated, well-financed, and politically motivated conspiracy” aimed at removing the Minister of State for Defence, Mohammad Bello Matawalle, from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet. In an extensive statement released in Abuja, the youth group declared that the intensifying smear campaign against the former Zamfara State governor is not only malicious but is part of a wider plot to destabilize President Tinubu’s northern support base ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
According to the NDYC, the attacks currently being directed at Matawalle are not coincidental or organic expressions of public concern. Instead, they are the outcomes of deliberate meetings, targeted alliances, and strategic calculations among political actors who have identified Matawalle as the most influential, most loyal, and most reliable northern ally in President Tinubu’s administration. The group alleges that these actors believe that weakening Matawalle is the most effective way to shake the President’s foundation in the North and create a void that can be exploited in the months leading to the next election cycle.
The group insists that “the desperation, the timing, the intensity, and the sophistication” of the smear campaign prove that the matter goes beyond policy disagreements. It accuses the masterminds of funding media attacks, manipulating public narratives, twisting facts, and inflating minor issues to create a perception of controversy around Matawalle where none exists. NDYC describes the situation as “a politically engineered cloud of misinformation created to mislead the President, confuse the public, and weaken the administration from within.”
In its statement signed by the National Coordinator, Comrade Israel Uwejeyan, the NDYC asserts that Matawalle’s loyalty has become a threat to individuals who had hoped to dominate the northern political space but have found themselves overshadowed by the minister’s rising influence. The group warns that these actors, not being able to challenge Matawalle’s credibility, popularity, or political structure, have resorted to blackmail as the only weapon available to them.
The NDYC stresses that the significance of Matawalle goes far beyond his ministerial role. It notes that he is one of the few political figures capable of unifying traditionally divided northern blocs, mobilizing grassroots support, and maintaining a stable political bridge between the North and the South. According to the organization, this makes him “a central pillar in the architecture of national cohesion and a vital asset in the strategic political calculations of the Tinubu administration.”
The group adds that President Tinubu must recognize that the attacks on Matawalle are not isolated incidents but “a carefully laid trap.” It warns that removing or sidelining him will not only weaken the President’s northern alliances but will embolden the opposition and give life to forces seeking to fragment the ruling coalition. “This is not an attack on Matawalle alone, it is a direct attempt to destabilize President Tinubu’s strongest flank,” the NDYC states emphatically.
Continuing its strong-worded warning, the group notes that the anti-Matawalle coalition comprises individuals whose political ambitions cannot thrive in an atmosphere of unity and stability. It reports that several of them have been uncomfortable with Matawalle’s strategic importance, his access, his grassroots network, and his ability to rally influential northern power blocs behind the President. As a result, they have intensified their efforts to undermine him using both overt and covert channels.
The NDYC calls on the President to maintain vigilance and avoid being swayed by what it terms “a well-crafted illusion of public criticism.” It says the campaign is not driven by patriotism, governance concerns, or national interest but by a calculated desire to sow division, trigger political distrust, and create a vacuum in the northern political landscape that can be exploited in the build-up to 2027.
The organization further warns that given Matawalle’s current contributions to national security coordination, removing him would also risk sending the wrong signal at a time when the nation requires clarity, stability, and united leadership. It positions Matawalle as one of the few defence-sector political actors who have gained the trust of both military and community stakeholders, thus making him indispensable.
The youth group urges Nigerians to reject the orchestrated misinformation and stand against any move to sacrifice a loyal and effective minister at the altar of political jealousy. It reiterates its stance that the attacks are motivated by fear—fear of Matawalle’s influence, fear of his loyalty to the President, and fear of his expanding political relevance.
Concluding its statement, the NDYC firmly reaffirms its support for both President Tinubu and Matawalle, stressing that the nation cannot afford unnecessary internal fractures manufactured for political gain. It calls on the President to retain Matawalle, describing him as a stabilizing force whose presence in the administration is essential for maintaining political balance, sustaining northern unity, and securing national cohesion as the country approaches a critical election season.