HURIWA dismisses NANS, Shinkafi’s calls for Matawalle’s sack, urges students to refocus on education
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised recent demands by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and a former governorship candidate in Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, calling for the removal of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, describing the moves as politically motivated, misplaced and diversionary.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwuniko, HURIWA condemned the threats by NANS to embark on nationwide protests over the call for Matawalle’s sack, branding the action as reckless and inconsistent with the core responsibilities of a student union.
The rights group accused the student body of abandoning its primary mandate and acting as political foot soldiers rather than champions of students’ welfare at a time when Nigeria’s education sector is grappling with severe challenges.
According to HURIWA, NANS should be concentrating its energy on issues that directly affect students, including chronic underfunding of public universities, dilapidated infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms, poorly equipped laboratories, incessant industrial actions and the steady decline in academic standards.
“HURIWA urged the leadership of NANS to return to classrooms and lecture halls and face the real issues confronting Nigerian students. The duty of NANS is not to issue ultimatums to the President or campaign for the sack of ministers, but to defend the interests of students whose future is being jeopardised by poor budgeting for education and systemic neglect,” the statement said.
The association warned that Nigeria’s universities are increasingly being reduced to the status of glorified primary schools as a result of years of underinvestment and policy failures, noting that student leaders should be at the forefront of advocating meaningful reforms in the sector.
HURIWA also referenced repeated warnings by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over inadequate funding and the collapse of academic standards, stressing that these long-standing concerns should be the focal point of student activism.
“Protests, if they must be organised, should be targeted at demanding better learning conditions, improved welfare for students and lecturers, and sustainable reforms that guarantee quality education. Threatening protests over the fate of a serving minister is not only misplaced, it is irresponsible,” the group stated.
On the criticisms by Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, HURIWA described his comments as overtly political and driven by partisan calculations rather than genuine concern for national security.
The association noted that Zamfara State remains a theatre of intense political rivalry between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), arguing that Shinkafi’s attacks on Matawalle must be viewed against that backdrop.
HURIWA pointed out that Shinkafi, who previously belonged to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) before aligning with the PDP in Zamfara State, is widely perceived as acting in the political interest of the incumbent state administration.
It claimed that his repeated criticism of Matawalle is linked to fears within rival political camps that the former Zamfara governor and current Minister of State for Defence could emerge as a strong contender on the APC platform in the 2027 governorship race.
“When Shinkafi speaks on Matawalle, Nigerians must listen with discernment. This is not a neutral intervention but a politically coloured attack rooted in Zamfara’s fierce power contest. His political trajectory clearly reveals where his interests lie,” HURIWA said.
The rights group cautioned against the politicisation of security matters, warning that reckless accusations and public grandstanding could undermine national stability and public confidence in state institutions.
It urged political actors, civil society groups and student bodies to allow due process, evidence-based assessments and established institutional mechanisms to address security challenges, rather than turning them into tools for political warfare.
HURIWA reaffirmed that while public officials must be held accountable, criticisms should be anchored on facts, national interest and respect for democratic institutions, not partisan opportunism or fear of political competition.
The association called on Nigerians to remain vigilant against attempts to manipulate public opinion through politically driven narratives, insisting that both student organisations and political actors must act responsibly and in the broader interest of the nation.
