Kebbi Nigerian Legion denies interfering in MIWA leadership, says election lawful

By Yusuf Gwandu

The Nigerian Legion, Kebbi State Council, has dismissed allegations by the Military Widows Association of Nigeria (MIWA) that it unlawfully dissolved the association’s executive and imposed new leadership on its members.

The State Chairman of the Legion, Alhaji Ahmed Shehu-Matawalle, made the clarification in a press briefing with newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday.

Shehu-Matawalle said the allegation was not true, explaining that the national leadership of the Nigerian Legion had summoned the executives of MIWA and the Legion from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to a meeting in Abuja to deliberate on the restructuring of the associations.

He said the meeting culminated in a directive for the dissolution of the existing state executives of MIWA and the conduct of fresh elections at the state level.

According to him, the Kebbi State Council complied with the directive of the national leadership of the Legion by organising the election for new MIWA executives in the state.

“ The leadership of the Nigerian Legion summoned all the 36 state executives and the FCT from MIWA and the Nigerian Legion to converge in Abuja for a meeting to restructure the associations.

“ Subsequent to that meeting, the state executives of MIWA were dissolved and a new election was ordered to be conducted at the state levels under the leadership of the Nigerian Legion.

“ We abided by the directive from the national body of the Legion and organised the election here in Kebbi State,” he said.

Shehu-Matawalle said the election was conducted on June 18, 2026, under the supervision of the Nigerian Legion and the Kebbi State Government.

He explained that the former MIWA leadership, which he said had remained in office for many years, contested the election but did not emerge victorious.

He said the election produced Hajiya Maryam Garba as the new State Coordinator of MIWA, with Aisha Sani-Ibrahim as Assistant Coordinator and Jummai Bango as Secretary, among other elected officials.

The chairman therefore urged members of MIWA and other stakeholders to respect the outcome of the election, stressing that the process was conducted in line with the directive of the national leadership of the Nigerian Legion.

He also denied any attempt by the Legion to impose leaders on MIWA, saying the new executives emerged through an election conducted at the state level.

Shehu-Matawalle’s position followed a recent claim by the former MIWA State Coordinator, Hajiya Asma’u Kanoma, who rejected the leadership of the newly elected executives and alleged that the Nigerian Legion lacked the authority to dissolve the association’s executive or conduct elections for it.