The Niger Delta Youth Congress (NDYC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to disregard what it described as a coordinated political smear campaign against the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Mohammad Bello Matawalle, urging the president to retain him in his cabinet.

In a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Comrade Israel Uwejeyan, the group alleged that recent criticisms directed at Matawalle were part of an “engineered political plot” by individuals and power blocs who fear his growing influence as one of President Tinubu’s most trusted northern allies.

NDYC said the attacks were designed to undermine the administration ahead of the 2027 general elections. According to the group, the campaigns are being driven by political actors who see Matawalle as a stabilising force within the President’s northern political base, and who believe that weakening him would weaken the President’s broader support structure.

“The masterminds behind these attacks believe that weakening Matawalle is the shortest route to weakening President Tinubu’s political consolidation in the North,” the “They are aware that Matawalle remains a stabilising force, a bridge-builder, and perhaps the most effective northern political fortress standing firmly with the President.”