Gbolahan Salman
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has reportedly intensified pressure on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, as a condition for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sources said Governor Lawal earlier met President Tinubu in Paris—alongside the Governors of Enugu and Taraba—where he expressed willingness to join the ruling party. However, he was said to have insisted that Matawalle must be removed and the APC structure in Zamfara handed over to him before he could make the move.
With the resignation of Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru on Monday, Lawal has allegedly renewed his push, urging the presidency to sack Matawalle “without delay” as part of the deal for his defection.
Insiders also claimed the governor is working with a senior security official to generate damaging reports aimed at undermining Matawalle’s standing in government.
According to sources familiar with the negotiation, Lawal has promised to mobilise the bulk of PDP stakeholders in Zamfara into the APC once Matawalle is removed from office.
Political observers say Lawal views the former governor as the single biggest obstacle to his influence in Zamfara’s political landscape. They also allege that Lawal is uncomfortable with Matawalle’s rising profile in the Northwest, particularly his role in tackling insecurity and coordinating federal responses to banditry and kidnappings.
Matawalle’s recent high-profile interventions—including the rescue operations for kidnapped students in Kebbi State and efforts to stabilise parts of Sokoto—have further strengthened his relevance in national security circles.
The presidency has not commented on the reported demands.
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