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 his planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Sources disclosed that Governor Lawal had earlier met with President Tinubu at the Peninsular Hotel in Paris, alongside the governors of Enugu and Taraba states, where he indicated interest in joining the ruling party.

During the meeting, he was said to have insisted on taking control of APC structures in Zamfara State, an arrangement that, according to insiders, would require Matawalle’s removal from office.

With the recent resignation of Mohammed Badaru as Minister of Defence, Governor Lawal has reportedly renewed his demands, urging the President to “immediately” sack Matawalle.

He is said to be working with a senior security official to facilitate adverse reports aimed at undermining the minister’s credibility.

Party sources claim that Lawal has assured the presidency that he would mobilise a large bloc of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members into the APC once Matawalle is removed, positioning himself as the party’s new political leader in Zamfara.

Observers note that the governor appears uneasy with Matawalle’s rising political influence, particularly across the North-West, and his record in managing security challenges.

Matawalle has received commendations for his role in tackling banditry and kidnappings in the region, including the rescue of kidnapped students of Federal Government College, Maga, in Kebbi State, and peace-building efforts in parts of Sokoto.

Political analysts say Lawal’s demands amount to a direct challenge to President Tinubu and loyal APC stakeholders, as he positions Matawalle as the sole obstacle to his political ambitions within the ruling party. (Daily Sun)