Matawalle Makes President Tinubu’s Ministerial List Amidst Fraud Allegations

The immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, and eight other former governors have made it into President Bola Tinubu‘s ministerial list.

Naija News understands that Matawelle was part of the second list released on Wednesday and sent to the Senate.

This development comes amid a fraud allegation against the former Zamfara State governor.

According to SaharaReporters, Matawalle, who was under probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged multi-billion naira fraud, was unveiled as a nominee yesterday.

The platform recalls how the EFCC was probing Matawalle for alleged N70 billion fraud in May 2023.

The EFCC through the Director of Public Affairs of the commission, Osita Nwajah, explained that the agency was not supposed to dignify Matawalle with a response after the former governor’s outbursts. Still, it did in order to set the record straight.

“It is intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate. Is this a case of a “’thief’’ saying he must not be touched until other ‘’thieves’’ are caught?,” the agency had said.

The anti-graft agency had also said it had “sent invitations to all outgoing Governors and Commissioners in a bid to commence investigation into alleged corruption and abuse of office perpetrated by them while in office.”

However, four former governors, namely former Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi; former Rivers State governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, former governor of Jigawa State; Muhammed Badaru Abubakar and former Kaduna State governor Nasir El Rufai, made the president’s first list.

While other former governors namely  Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun); Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); Bello Matawelle (Zamfara); Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe), and Simon Lalong (Plateau) made the second list.