According to Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence, opposition lawmakers are allegedly trying to enlist international backing in their challenge to President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Friday, Matawalle’s Personal Assistant on Media, Ahmad Dan Wudil, issued a statement in which he asked opposition leaders to put the interests of the nation ahead of their personal ambitions and refrain from doing anything that could alienate Nigerians from the democratically elected administration.
A revelation surfaced that former vice president Atiku Abubakar had engaged a foreign lobbying firm to disseminate anti-Tinubu materials in the US, prompting the minister to respond. He criticised the decision, saying it was unpatriotic and hurt Nigeria’s reputation abroad.
These measures, according to Matawalle, do little to improve democracy or solve the economic and security problems facing Nigeria. Rather, he emphasised the importance of opposition leaders rallying behind initiatives to strengthen security, foster national unity, and improve the welfare of citizens.
No matter one’s political leanings, he remarked, everyone should honour the presidency. No foreign government or lobbying business would be able to influence Nigeria’s democratic decisions or reverse the freely given mandate to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as stated in the statement.
Furthermore, Matawalle emphasised that the international standing of Nigeria should not be tarnished by the country’s political conflicts. President Trump’s recent compliments on Tinubu’s leadership, he added, show that world confidence in Nigeria is on the rise, especially in the areas of security cooperation and counterterrorism.
The minister emphasised that the development goals of the Tinubu administration will remain unabated despite the prevalence of false information and attacks driven by political motives.
He went on to say, “Those spreading lies and funding discordant stories about President Tinubu’s administration should know that their actions will have political and moral consequences, and that Nigerians will not back down from protecting their democratic mandate.”
Noting that only Nigerians have the constitutional right to elect their leaders through elections, Matawalle was confident that public support for the Tinubu administration would remain unaffected by foreign pressure.
To prepare for the general elections in 2027, he urged the opposition to concentrate their attention where it belongs: on offering alternative policies, on supporting initiatives to address insecurity, and on cooperating to safeguard Nigeria’s unity, stability, and international standing.