The APC Youth Leaders Network has described the protest against the minister of state for Defence, Bello Matawalle, as stage-managed, adding that his contributions to national security, particularly in the North West region, are commendable.
The group, which made this known at a press conference in Abuja, dissociated themselves from the protest by some individuals claiming to be APC youths demanding the EFCC’s investigation of Matawalle.
According to them, the protest was allegedly stage-managed by Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, who has been accused of mismanaging state resources and turning the Government House into a propaganda hub and secret hideout for terrorists.
“Apparently, the recent events on a sponsored protest to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by a compromised faction that claimed to be APC youths, demanding an investigation of Matawalle should be seen as nothing short of an embarrassing attempt to spread falsehood for vendetta politics,” the statement said.
“Indeed, this trying times call for an urgent need for Nigerians to circumspectly evaluate any spurious allegations flying around. It is no strange news that Governor Dauda Lawal’s loud failure in discharging the basic functions of governance has pushed him into a new vocation— that is, funding faceless and unrecognizable coalition, mobilizing street protests, and orchestrating malicious narratives that’s aimed at undermining the president Tinubu’s led-administration.
“Nevertheless, our commitment to truth, justice, and the preservation of democratic integrity that the APC stands for, remains undeterred. Let it be made clear: Minister Bello Matawalle is a respected patriot whose legacy and contributions to national security, particularly in the Northwest, continue to uphold the visionary Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“However, Governor Lawal at the other side, rather than governing with the mandate bestowed upon him by the good people of Zamfara State, he has regrettably become a full-time political saboteur. From mismanaging the state resources to turning Government House into a propaganda hub and secret hideout for terrorists, Lawal’s administration has drowned Zamfara deeper into insecurity, institutional decadency, and economic stagnation.
“Moreover, it’s on record that insecurity in Zamfara has worsen alarmingly under Lawal’s control. Daily news of banditry festers, communities being ransacked, lives being lost in thousands, and the cry of protection that was never answered. Evidently, it is not out of place to say that the governor is either grossly incompetent to lead or criminally negligent— or perhaps both.
Undoubtedly, no sincere observer of today’s Nigerian polity can ignore the coordinated pattern of misinformation emanating from the seat of power in Zamfara state. The so-called protest, ludicrous assertions, and malicious claims peddled by a faction of misguided youths under the dubious banner of the All Progressives Congress Young Leaders Alliance (APC-YLA) against Minister Matawalle is a desperate calculated distraction at diverting public attention away from Lawal’s monumental failures in Zamfara State. Unfortunately , their baseless vituperations stem from an acute awareness of their own irrelevance in the APC political sphere.”
The APC Youth Leaders Network described Governor Lawal’s administration as “a national embarrassment and a symbol of what should never again be allowed in Nigerian politics.”
They urged the EFCC to investigate Lawal’s financial dealings and conduct a full forensic audit of state expenditures.
The group said Matawalle stands out as a paragon of dedication and patriotism, consistently demonstrating unwavering commitment to national security and stability.
The added that his tireless efforts in coordinating local intelligence, devising effective defence strategies, and supporting counterinsurgency operations in the Northwest region have yielded verifiable and commendable results.
The group reaffirmed their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Matawalle, describing the latter as “an epitome of service, loyalty, and patriotism.”
They expressed confidence that truth and justice would prevail, and Zamfara State would be delivered from Governor Lawal’s leadership, which they described as “a monumental failure”
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