A political operative has publicly apologized to Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, admitting involvement in a coordinated smear campaign allegedly masterminded by Zamfara government.
In a signed statement, Ibrahim Muhammad Adam alleged that the campaign was aimed at damaging Matawalle’s public image ahead of a possible bid for the Zamfara governorship.
Adam alleged that the governor instructed him to circulate a false report suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had dismissed Matawalle, alongside Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru and Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu.
The fabricated story was reportedly designed to gain traction online, with Adam alleging that Lawal provided considerable funding — including payments to media professionals — to help validate the claims.
He alleged that the governor claimed he had personally offered close to 500 million naira to someone in the presidency who allegedly confirmed that Honourable Matawalle would be removed.
“The reason we included Badaru and the Minister of Power is because people might not think deeply — it was actually Dauda who sponsored the publication. The truth is, Dauda did it all because of Matawalle.
“We promised to bring Matawalle back as governor, and if we are to succeed, this is the way to expose Dauda,” Adam’s statement read.
He suggested the move was driven by the governor alleged concern over a potential challenge from Matawalle in the next election cycle.
Expressing remorse for his actions, Adam added, “I now realise how wrong this was, and I accept full responsibility.”
He appealed to the public and press to disregard the misinformation and asked for Matawalle’s forgiveness, attributing his conduct to “pressure and poor judgment.”
