FOR the second time in three months, the minister of state for defence, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has warned the former minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, to stop inciting violence or face consequences.
Matawalle described recent remarks by Amaechi concerning the leadership style of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as reckless and inciting.
Amaechi, also a former governor of Rivers State, had accused Nigerian leaders of having uncontrollable avarice for power.
He said Nigerian politicians’ primary objective was to hold on to power at all costs, even if it meant resorting to theft and violence.
Amaechi, who contested and lost the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary to President Bola Tinubu in 2022, stated these at the National Conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria held in Abuja earlier this week.
Speaking at the event, Amaechi said the country’s situation required that citizens devise strategies on how to sack many leaders from office in the next election.
However, he noted that rather than being told the blatant truth that they were failures, such leaders were being deceitfully hailed by the same people they denied good leadership.
He argued that the current political structure in the country was unlikely to change under Tinubu’s government if citizens failed to form a strong alliance against the ruling party before the next election.
“The politician is there in Nigeria to steal, to maim, to kill, and to remain in power. If you think Tinubu will give it to you, you are wasting your time,” he stated.
Reacting to the statement, Matawalle said it was reckless and dangerous for a former public officeholder to make such “inflammatory remarks”.
“At a time when the government is working tirelessly to consolidate national unity and security, no responsible leader should fan the flames of violence and political unrest,” Matawalle stated.
He warned against spreading what he described as narratives of violence and anarchy among Nigerians, adding that Nigeria is a country governed by laws, not a place where power is taken by force.
Matawalle warned that security agencies were watching closely, and anyone trying to incite violence or destabilise the nation would be held accountable and face the full force of the law.
The statement, signed by the director of press and public relations at the Ministry of Defence, Henshaw Ogubike, stressed that the government would not tolerate subversive rhetoric aimed at undermining national unity or inciting lawlessness.
Matawalle cautioned Amaechi that power is attained through democratic means, not through coercion, violence, or lawlessness.
He reaffirmed the commitment of Tinubu’s administration to upholding peace, democratic values and national security.
The ICIR reports that this is not the first time the defence minister will be cautioning Amaechi for allegedly inciting Nigerians against the Tinubu-led government.
In October 2024, Matawalle accused Amaechi of inciting violence and unrest in Nigeria following his comments on hardship in the country.
A reporter with the ICIR
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