APC Group Accuses PDP Governor of Sponsoring Protest Against Tinubu’s Minister

• The APC Integrity Network has accused the Zamfara state government of sponsoring a recent protest against the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle
• The APC group said the anti-Matawalle protest was to weaken President Tinubu’s cabinet ahead of the 2027 election
• The president of the group, Bamidele Ibrahim Ayoola, alleged that each participant was paid between N10,000 and N20,000 to carry placards

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

FCT, Abuja - The Zamfara State Government has been accused of sponsoring a recent protest against the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Integrity Network alleged that the protest was part of a broader plan to sabotage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

The President of the APC Integrity Network, Bamidele Ibrahim Ayoola, described the protest staged by the so-called APC Young Leaders Alliance as a “cash-for-mob stunt”.

Ayooola claimed the protest was orchestrated by political hirelings loyal to the Zamfara administration.

He said they aimed to distract Matawalle from his ongoing service to Nigeria’s defence and security architecture.

This was contained in a statement issued on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Abuja and made available to Legit.ng.

Ayoola said the protesters were “mobilised with peanuts” and that many of them had no knowledge of who Matawalle was or the content of the petition they supposedly supported.

“It is shameful and dangerous for any group to rent a crowd to smear a sitting minister at a time when national unity and security should be our focus. We have credible evidence that these protesters were sponsored with state funds from Zamfara, with each participant receiving between N10,000 and N20,000 to carry placards they can’t even read,”

The APC group claimed several eyewitnesses at the EFCC headquarters and within the Maitama axis confirmed seeing two buses, marked with Zamfara state government fleet numbers, dropping off the protesters at the EFCC gates in the early hours of Friday.

"This is not just about Matawalle. This is about weakening Tinubu’s cabinet from within and fuelling disunity in the APC. These enemies of progress are hoping to frame President Tinubu’s ministers as corrupt or ineffective ahead of 2027,”

He added that:

“This is not just about Matawalle. It’s about distracting our party’s federal ministers and creating a false narrative of selective justice to confuse the public."

Northern group exposes campaign Against Tinubu's minister

Recall that agents loyal to Zamfara state governor, Dauda Lawal have been accused of promoting a smear campaign against Matawalle.

The Concerned Northern Forum (CNF) said Governor Lawal's camp is doing everything possible to tarnish Matawalle’s image.

According to the Northern group, the campaign against Matawalle is an attempt to divert attention from the alleged failures of Governor Lawal's administration.

Group applauds Tinubu, Matawalle

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the Patriots for Peace and Social Development commended the military's intensified operations in the northwest, particularly in Sokoto state.

The civil society group highlighted the neutralisation of several notorious bandits across multiple states and urged national unity in supporting the military's efforts.

The group criticised Zamfara's PDP for allegedly politicising national security and expressed confidence that ongoing efforts would dismantle bandit networks.

Source: Legit.ng