Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF) and the Northern Awareness Network (NAN) have condemned in strong terms a $50,000 inducement plot to tarnish the image of the minister of state for Defence, Bello Matawalle, stressing that it is a threat to undermine Nigeria’s stability.
The AYCF and NAN, in separate statements issued and made available to journalists, raised particular concerns over the integrity of political leadership in Nigeria’s northern region with revelations specifically pointing to a plot targeting prominent figures, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, Minister of State for Defence Matawalle, and Senator Abdulaziz Yari.
According to the statements signed by Yerima Shettima, president general of AYCF and Salifu Suleiman, chairman NAN, the orchestrations, revealed by one Abdul DanBature, one of the organisers of the August 1 protests, particularly the $50,000 scheme focused on Minister Matawalle, cast a long shadow over the political landscape, engendering suspicions about the motives behind such malign activities.
The northern groups, therefore, called for a deeper inquiry into the political dynamics that may underlie these attacks, apparently aimed at undermining the political influence of northern leaders, who are deemed crucial to the support base of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The groups averred that by targeting northern key figures, the orchestrators of such a scheme might be attempting to create divisions between the president and the northern political ranks, destabilising Nigeria’s broader political landscape.
“The implications of such blackmail campaigns possess the potential to disrupt governance and compromise the effectiveness of leadership, particularly at a time when national unity and stability are paramount.
“The $50,000 plot against Minister Matawalle serves as a poignant reminder of the lengths President Tinubu’s adversaries go in their desperation to strip him of the influence of such powerful political figures in the North.
“The specificity of Matawalle as the target illustrates a calculated approach to weaken the president’s existing political structure within the northern region. Minister Matawalle’s pivotal role in the defence sector amplifies the stakes involved, suggesting that such attacks could also compromise national security by diverting attention from pressing matters of state,” both statements emphasised.
The AYCF cautions that unrestrained unrest in these regions could devolve into pervasive violence, thereby ushering Nigeria toward chaos that could spiral beyond recovery. Such scenarios evoke an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear, undermining the very tenets of governance and security.
Relevant authorities must conduct thorough investigations into the AYCF’s claims to address these alarming revelations.
For NAN, “The audacity of offering $50,000 to compromise the credibility of a high-ranking minister reflects the serious intent of these destabilising forces,” said Sulaiman. “This suggests a coordinated effort, fueled by international actors, to undermine governance and national cohesion in Nigeria.”
The NAN statement also highlighted the recent emergence of a video featuring notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, making unsubstantiated allegations against Minister Matawalle. The timing of these allegations, coupled with the foiled #Endbadgovernance protests and the ugly dimensions they took in northern Nigeria, have painted a grim picture of an orchestrated campaign intended to destabilise the North and weaken the federal government’s machinery.
It said that the fact that a sum as significant as $50,000 was allegedly offered to tarnish the image of a senior government official points to a meticulously orchestrated campaign with potentially dire consequences. It added that this campaign appears to transcend political rivalry, revealing a concern agenda fueled by actors whose interests lie outside Nigeria’s stability.
In light of these alarming developments, the NAN called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration to take proactive measures to counteract the destabilising manoeuvres of these groups. The Network emphasised the need for the government to engage in comprehensive consultations with genuine Northern groups and critical stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s security and stability ahead of the crucial 2027 elections.
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