Bello Matawalle
By Tony Folarin
Indications have emerged on the considerations that led to President Bola Tinubu’s decision to sack five ministers and leave the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, in his cabinet, despite allegations of banditry sponsorship levelled against him.
Recall that some ministers were removed, and they are Mrs Uju-Ken Ohanenye (Women Affairs), Lola Ade-John (Tourism), Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN (Education), Dr Jamila Bio Ibrahim (Youth Development), and Abdullahi Gwarzo (Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development).
According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the decision to dismiss the ministers was influenced by public perception and empirical data on their performance.
Onanuga explained that the reshuffle came as a response to the critical views held by Nigerians regarding the ministers’ effectiveness in office.
Why ministers were sacked
However, sources within the Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress revealed that the decision was also based on the “lack of political value” of the affected ministers in their respective states.
According to an APC chieftain at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, a key consideration was whether the removal of any of the ministers would incite political unrest in their states.
“They evaluated if their sack would lead to a crisis for the president in their regions, and the feedback was that it would not,” he said.
The source further noted that while some ministers were sacked due to underperformance, others were dismissed based on concerns over their conduct and limited political relevance.
Matawalle is regarded as having high political value that can help the 2027 second term ambition of President Bola Tinubu.
Bio-Ibrahim as placeholder
It was gathered that at the Ministry of Youth Development, the sacked minister, Bio-Ibrahim, had been a ‘placeholder’ for Ayodele Olawande, a former Minister of State for the ministry.
According to the officials, Olawande, who has been appointed as the substantive minister, was the favourite candidate of Seyi Tinubu, the son of the president.
The officials said the sacked minister was not empowered politically, adding that the system was rigged against her.
A source said Bio-Ibrahim was a victim of political manipulations.
The source noted, “The woman is a just victim of political manipulations. She didn’t enjoy being a minister because the system was not in her favour.
“The former Minister of State, Ayodele Ayowande, had been the choice of the presidency from day one. President Tinubu’s son, Seyi, wanted Ayowande to be the substantive minister from the start, but he didn’t have his way. They had since been working to take the woman out.
“One example is that in August this year, the woman wanted to hold a programme in Ondo State to dissuade the youth from joining the #EndBadGovernance protest, but she was frustrated out of it. The people who didn’t want the President to know she was active mobilised against her and she couldn’t hold the programme again. We knew she’d be relieved of her duties eventually because she didn’t have support from the political class.”
Ohanenye’s theatre
Sacked Minister of Women Affairs, Uju-Ken Ohanenye, was relieved of her position because of her ‘constant drama’ which the presidency considered embarrassing, according to impeccable sources .
The sources said Ohanenye also stepped on many toes in her ‘aggressive moves’ to restructure the ministry.
According to the sources, the first turnoff recorded against Ohanenye was her threat to sue the United Nations for allegedly mismanaging funds meant for Nigeria.
Ohanenye had in October 2023 accused the UN of obtaining funds on behalf of the country without remitting them.
The former APC female presidential aspirant also disrupted two events in Abuja because the organisers did not seek the permission of her ministry to do so.
The sources noted that the woman, though residing in Lagos, didn’t have any political godfather, which exposed her to threats from politicians in Lagos and some individuals who wanted to take charge of the ministry.
“She may be from Lagos by birth, but she is not a party person. That is her crime. She was relieved because of pressure from the Lagos power bloc.
“The woman performed excellently well. Nigeria has offended that lady because she gave in her best and we have the result.”
The Director General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism, Wale Ojo-Lanre, in an article titled, ‘Lola Ade-John: Good bye to jati jati?’, described her removal as an injustice.
“Despite her visionary plans and tireless work, the sudden termination of her appointment feels like a deep injustice – a classic case of someone being stripped of their potential just as they are reaching for the stars.
“It’s essential to recognise that while she did not achieve everything she set out to do, what she accomplished in such a short time is nothing short of remarkable. She laid the groundwork for future leaders to build upon, and her legacy will not be forgotten”, he wrote.
Mamman’s sacking
The sacked Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, might have been relieved because of the controversies surrounding his actions and policies in the education sector, it was learnt.
Among the controversies in the sector is the implementation of the 18-year minimum age policy for university admissions, which led to public outcry.
A non-government organisation, Education for Accelerated Development, listed Mamman’s sins to include misinformation, leading to diplomatic conflict between Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Togo, resulting in the suspension of degree programmes from universities in these countries, amongst other issues.
Matawalle’s escape
Sources explained that President Tinubu chose to retain certain ministers despite public dissatisfaction with their performance due to considerations around his potential second-term ambition and the political roles the ministers might play.
Some ministers reported to have equally underperformed included the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola; Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji; and Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, among others.
Matawalle has been repeatedly accused of sponsoring banditry in Zamfara State, an allegation he has always denied. Onanuga also stated that the allegations against him were unproven.
