Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle has rallied former political office holders and associates of his administration in Zamfara State to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts to tackle banditry and other forms of insecurity.
Matawalle made the call on Saturday in Kaduna during an interactive meeting with former members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, former commissioners, special advisers and other political associates who served during his tenure as governor between 2019 and 2023.
The meeting focused on security, political developments and the situation in Zamfara, while also providing Matawalle an opportunity to mobilise his political structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Matawalle links security to development
Addressing the gathering, Matawalle said the protection of lives and property remained the primary responsibility of any serious government.
He said the APC-led Federal Government under Tinubu was committed to defeating banditry and restoring peace to affected communities.
Matawalle also argued that security was essential for economic development, saying insecurity could prevent government policies from producing meaningful results.
He pointed to Tinubu’s engagements with security stakeholders as evidence of the President’s commitment to tackling the crisis.
Former officials asked to mobilise at grassroots
Matawalle urged his former political associates to return to their constituencies and communicate the Federal Government’s security efforts to residents.
He specifically asked them to mobilise support for the Tinubu Again Movement and work towards strengthening the President’s support base ahead of the 2027 election.
“I want you to go back to your various constituencies and continue to sensitise our people on the efforts being made by the Federal Government to secure the country,” Matawalle told the gathering, according to Punch.
He stressed that restoring peace would require collective support and urged his political network to remain united.
Political mobilisation alongside security campaign
The meeting illustrates how security and electoral politics are increasingly intersecting in Zamfara ahead of 2027.
Zamfara has been one of the states hardest hit by banditry, kidnapping and other forms of armed criminality.
For political actors in the state, security therefore remains both a governance issue and a major electoral concern.
Matawalle’s mobilisation comes as the Tinubu administration seeks to demonstrate progress against insecurity while opposition parties prepare to challenge the APC at the polls.
His former political associates pledged to support the President’s re-election campaign and to take the administration’s message to communities across the state.
Zamfara remains a major security test
Despite ongoing military and security operations, banditry remains a serious problem across parts of the North-West.
The Federal Government has continued to deploy military formations and other security measures to confront armed groups operating in the region.
Matawalle’s appeal reflects the government’s recognition that military action alone cannot resolve the wider security challenge.
Political leaders, traditional institutions and local communities are also expected to support intelligence gathering, community engagement and efforts to prevent criminal groups from exploiting local networks.
2027 dimension
Matawalle’s call also carries an unmistakable political dimension.
The former Zamfara governor remains an influential figure within the state’s APC structure, and his ability to mobilise former office holders and political associates could be significant as the party prepares for the 2027 election.
The leaders who attended the meeting reportedly pledged to mobilise support for Tinubu and communicate the administration’s achievements to voters.
The political contest, however, will ultimately be decided by voters and by the ability of the various parties to translate their organisational structures into electoral support.
For now, Matawalle is positioning his political network firmly behind Tinubu while framing the President’s security agenda as a central component of the administration’s case for another term.