Prominent civil rights advocacy organization, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has called on the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), and the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, to immediately step down from the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election.
The demand was contained in a press statement issued on Tuesday morning, August 25, 2026, in Abuja, signed by HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko.
The rights group expressed deep concern over the political involvement of top defence chiefs at a time when Nigeria faces widespread security challenges, including persistent banditry, terrorism, and violent criminality across various regions.
HURIWA argued that holding key positions in a political campaign while overseeing national security creates a distraction that risks undermining public trust in military impartiality.
The association urged both ministers to step back completely from partisan campaign activities to channel 100% of their operational focus toward safeguarding Nigerian lives.
HURIWA warned that combining defence leadership with high-stakes electoral politicking sends the wrong signal to frontline troops who require undivided leadership and focus.
”The primary duty of the defence ministry is the protection of the territorial integrity of Nigeria and the security of its citizens,” Onwubiko stated during the release. “At a time when citizens are constantly exposed to security threats, the ministers of defence cannot afford the luxury of partisan campaign assignments.”
HURIWA concluded by appealing directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to relieve defence heads of partisan political roles so they can concentrate strictly on restoring peace and security across the country.
