A political operative has issued a public apology to Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, confessing to orchestrating a smear campaign allegedly directed by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal Dare.
The confession, detailed in a statement by Ibrahim Muhammad Adam, alleges that the governor sponsored false reports to tarnish Matawalle’s reputation ahead of a potential gubernatorial bid.
In the statement, Adam admitted to being instructed by Governor Lawal to spread a fabricated story claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had sacked Matawalle, along with Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru and Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu.
The false report was intended to go viral, with Lawal allegedly providing substantial funds, including payments to journalists, to lend credibility to the narrative.
“Governor Dauda 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 added that the governor’s actions were motivated by fears that Matawalle might challenge him for the Zamfara governorship in future elections.
Adam expressed regret for his role, stating, “I now realise how wrong this was, and I accept full responsibility.”
He urged the public and media to disregard the fabricated stories and pleaded for Matawalle’s forgiveness, citing “pressure and poor judgment” as factors in his actions.
