2027: Matawalle promises more security on Zamfara highways

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has promised increased security deployment on major highways in Zamfara State, as he urged residents and All Progressives Congress supporters to back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Matawalle identified the Talata Mafara-Gusau-Sokoto highway, Gummi-Anka-Bukkuyum road and Tsafe access routes as areas that would receive additional security personnel to protect motorists and other commuters from bandit attacks.

He gave the assurance while addressing APC supporters at his residence in Gusau, ahead of the scheduled visit of the First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, to the state.
“We will deploy security forces along the Talata Mafara-Gusau-Sokoto highway to ensure the safe movement of commuters,” he said.
“We will also deploy security personnel to ensure the safety of those travelling along the Gummi, Anka, Bukkuyum and Tsafe roads.”

The minister pledged to do everything within his capacity to tackle insecurity in Zamfara and other parts of the country.
He also called on APC members to unite and intensify grassroots mobilisation for Tinubu’s second-term ambition, declaring that opposition criticism and misinformation would not prevent the President from winning in the North.

Matawalle said his major political priority after discharging his responsibilities at the Defence Ministry was to mobilise support for Tinubu’s return to office.
He praised the President’s administration for its efforts to address the country’s development challenges and said he wanted Tinubu to complete his constitutionally permitted eight-year tenure.

The minister also dismissed speculation about the President’s health, insisting that Tinubu was fit to continue leading the country.
On the Zamfara North senatorial rerun election, Matawalle rejected claims that the exercise was intended to weaken his political influence or create divisions within the APC.
He condemned the violence reportedly recorded during the rerun in Kaura Namoda and Birnin Magaji, warning party members against allowing political disagreements to escalate into attacks.

“Those who caused the crisis during the rerun elections in Kaura Namoda and Birnin Magaji know whether they can emerge victorious or not,” he said.
“If victory is on your side, what is the essence of creating a crisis? We will not fight or attack anybody.”
Earlier, the Director-General of the Tinubu Again Movement, Dr Auwal Abdullahi, urged APC supporters to strengthen grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.

Abdullahi said the group had developed welfare and empowerment programmes targeting youths, women and other groups as part of its campaign strategy.
He urged party members to participate in the initiatives, which he said were designed to ensure equitable distribution of empowerment opportunities.