10th November, 2023
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
A former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode on Friday said those calling on President Bola Tinubu to sack the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle are labouring in vain.
In a long tweet on X, Fani-Kayode said Matawalle was the first Governor in the North West to pitch his tent with Tinubu long before the presidential campaign even started and that he more than anyone else built the bridge of trust between the North and the South West.
“Those that have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove my friend and brother Dr. Bello Matawalle, the former Governor of Zamfara state, as the Minister of State for Defence are on a wild goose chase.
“I say this because firstly the unsubstantiated allegations being made against him are false and are nothing but part of a well sponsored and well orchestrated plot by his enemies in Zamfara state to discredit and destroy him.
“Matawalle was the first Governor in the North West to pitch his tent with President Tinubu long before the presidential campaign even started and he more than anyone else built the bridge of trust between the North and the South West.
“He worked assiduously and diligently day and night to achieve this and I can bear witness to that,” he stated.
According to Fani-Kayode, the notion that Tinubu would contemplate dropping him from his cabinet simply because of the baseless allegations being peddled about him and after he has displayed such unalloyed support and help unquestioning loyalty, is absurd.
“Those that are after Matawalle and are seeking his downfall are labouring in vain. I have known him for many years, he is a profoundly good man and he shall do an excellent excellent job as Minister of State for Defence,” he added.