The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has said the recent sponsored attacks on the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle; and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu are targeted on President Bola Tinubu.
During his recent appearance on Channels Television, Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, alleging that he lacks the will to address the chronic insecurity afflicting his state and Northern Nigeria.
Through faceless groups, Lawal also attacked Matawalle and the NSA, calling for their removal, which was another subtle way of trying to get at the President since his targets are among the latter’s trusted loyalists.
In a statement by AYCF’s President General, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, he said that Lawal had failed to repose his own ineffectiveness and absence during critical security crises affecting his state, stressing that on the very day female students from the Federal University, Gusau were abducted, the Governor embarked on a personal trip to the United States, thus leaving his state leaderless during a dire emergency.
According to him, the governor’s “unwarranted trip to the United States at such a critical time demonstrates his disconnection from the realities on the ground in Zamfara. It was alarming that the governor remained incommunicado and inaccessible to efforts from the Ministry of Defence and federal government officials seeking his cooperation”.
Shettima further said: “It is no longer news that Governor Lawal has consistently refused to collaborate with federal initiatives aimed at combating insecurity, thereby undermining collective efforts, This was recently collaborated with a viral video where bandits pledged their allegiance to him.
“The expansive role of the Ministers of Defence and the NSA, which involves harmonising efforts between the military, paramilitary, and intelligence agencies to combat nationwide security threats and their focus on overhauling the operational environment for the nation’s security forces has been pivotal in enhancing their effectiveness against terrorism, insurgency, and other critical threats.
“Specifically, Matawalle’s proactive measures in addressing resource shortages, inadequate training, and operational constraints that had previously hampered security efforts and maintaining a balanced approach to ensure national security is quite commendable”.
AYCF therefore called on President Tinubu not to give attention to distractors because Matawalle and Ribadu are trusted ally who remain committed to his renewed agenda.
