…Says desperate plot to derail Tinubu’s security agenda will fail

A prominent pressure group within the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Integrity Network, has accused the Zamfara State Government of sponsoring a recent protest against the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, as part of a broader plan to sabotage the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday in Abuja, Bamidele Ibrahim Ayoola, President of the APC Integrity Network, described the protest staged by the so-called APC Young Leaders Alliance as a “cash-for-mob stunt” orchestrated by political hirelings loyal to the current Zamfara administration, aimed at distracting Matawalle from his ongoing service to Nigeria’s defence and security architecture.

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,” Ayoola said.

According to the APC Integrity Network, 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.

“They arrived in chartered vehicles from Kaduna and Gusau, clearly not grassroots APC members as they claimed. Some of the placards were even mislabelled, calling the minister ‘Bello Masari’ instead of Matawalle, exposing the hasty nature of the arrangement,” Ayoola added.

The group also released images and short video clips purportedly showing cash being handed out to some protesters after the demonstration, and claimed the funds were allegedly funneled through a proxy linked to a senior aide in the Zamfara government.

Ayoola maintained that the campaign against Matawalle is part of a wider agenda to undermine the APC-led federal government and sow internal division within the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said the protest was part of a deliberate campaign to destabilise the Tinubu government by attacking its key ministers, especially those seen as influential in northern politics.

“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.

“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. 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.”

Recall that Matawalle served as governor of Zamfara from 2019 to 2023 and was appointed Minister of State for Defence by President Bola Tinubu as part of efforts to strengthen the national response to insecurity, especially in the northern region.

The APC Integrity Network says since assuming office, Matawalle has been “laser-focused” on tackling insecurity in Zamfara and other frontline states, and that “enemies of progress” are alarmed by the goodwill he has continued to attract across party lines.

“It is unfortunate that while the minister is deploying his experience to help the Nigerian military counter banditry and terrorism, some bitter politicians in his home state are sponsoring protests to distract him,” the group said.

“The truth is, the defence minister has been laser-focused on improving military operations in the North-West. That is why he’s being targeted. But the public must not fall for these diversionary tactics. If anything, this protest proves that he’s hitting the right nerves.

“So we challenge the EFCC to investigate the source of the funds used to sponsor Friday’s protest. Who paid for the transport, food, accommodation, and banners? Nigerians deserve to know.”

The APC Integrity Network urged President Tinubu, the National Working Committee of the APC, and security agencies to investigate what it described as a coordinated campaign to bring down prominent members of the party using state-sponsored blackmail.

“If anyone has facts or proof against Matawalle, let them follow due process. But this rented crowd strategy must stop. The APC must not become a theatre for vendettas,” Ayoola concluded.

The group also warned that should these “mercenary protests” continue, they would be forced to name and shame state actors funding the campaign, and petition relevant federal agencies for breach of public trust and diversion of funds.

The APC Integrity Network vowed to remain vigilant and continue defending party leaders who are being unfairly targeted by what they called “enemies within and outside the party.”

The Representatives of Late Oba Odumena Igimisoje Akarigbo Royal Family of Sagamu had finally cleared the air on the real ownership of a parcel of land along Ikenne-Remo Road,ORILE-OFIN,SAGAMU as Igimisoje Anoko Family refutes Fakoya/ARIGBABOWO Family Ownership Claim

A fresh land ownership declaration has emerged in Orile Ofin, Sagamu, Ogun State, following a viral social media video by Otunba Adewale Fakoya, who claims ownership of a parcel of land located at Ikenne-Remo Road, opposite the NYSC Camp, at the former Oko Rubber Area.

In the video, Otunba Fakoya warned the public against purchasing any portion of the land from Alabama Properties Agency, alleging the Agency lacks legitimate rights to handle transactions and she even claimed she is doing bonanza on the land.

In a swift and strongly-worded response, Prince Babatunde Adegboyega, Secretary to His Royal Majesty, Late Oba Odumena Igimisoje Akarigbo, speaking on behalf of the Anoko/ Igimisoje Family, dismissed Fakoya’s claims as “entirely false and misleading.”

“The land in question is an ancestral property belonging to our forefathers, and it remains the bonafide property of the Anoko / Igimisoje Family,” Prince Adegboyega stated. “The family has never, at any point in time, relinquished ownership of the land to the Fakoya family or any other entity.”

According to him, the Anoko Igimisoje Family duly contracted Alabama Properties to manage and sell parts of the land on their behalf.

“We consider Alabama Properties a reputable and trustworthy agency, and we stand by their operations on our land,” he affirmed.

Fakoya reportedly claimed that he was granted ownership of the land by the Ogun State Government under the leadership of Otunba Gbenga Daniel in 2010, with a supporting government gazette.

However, the Anoko Igimisoje Family contends that this gazette was invalidated when Governor Ibikunle Amosun assumed office and canceled previous allocations in 2011.

“To date, no legally recognized gazette or government documentation has revalidated the purported allocation,” Prince Adegboyega emphasized.

Despite the Gazette ingenuity, Fakoya/ Arigbabowo Family is alleged to have continued selling portions of the land, while also making repeated attempts to intimidate Alabama Properties and family members involved in the land’s legitimate sale.

“He has reported our family to the Police severally and the Land Grabbing Office in Abeokuta,” Adegboyega said. “Yet, we have remained law-abiding and have encouraged him to take his claims to court, where we are ready to meet him and resolve this matter once and for all.”

Also speaking on the matter, Prince Abdul-Fatai Otaiku, another senior member of Anoko Igimisoje family, expressed the family’s intention to reclaim any sections of the land already sold by Fakoya family.

“We are ready to collect our land back from Fakoya family because he has been selling it to unsuspecting buyers. The land belongs to us and not them,” Prince Abdul-Fatai declared.

The Anoko Igimisoje Family has called on members of the public to disregard the statements made by Otunba Fakoya and urged government authorities and community leaders to intervene in order to prevent further unlawful sales and safeguard the interests of the rightful landowners.

As the conflict escalates, all eyes remain on the next legal steps, which may determine the final ownership of the hotly contested property.

Just In: Nigeria Removed from List of Countries Indebted to IMF

– The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has removed Nigeria from its list of debtor countries.

– Country now better placed to strengthen fiscal credibility, says presidential aide, O’tega Ogra

In a report titled: ‘Total IMF Credit Outstanding – Movement from May 01, 2025 to May 06, 2025,” obtained on the multilateral institution’s website yesterday, Nigeria was not listed among its debtors which has a total of 91 developing and least developed countries owing the Fund a total of $117,797,656,224 as at 6th of May 2025.

Total IMF credit outstanding refers to the total amount of unpaid and outstanding principal due to the Fund from its member countries. This includes both outstanding loans under current arrangements and those that have expired.

When contacted on the development yesterday, a top IMF official in Washington DC, who pleaded to remain anonymous, told THISDAY they were trying to confirm the reports, pointing out that Nigeria borrowed a rapid finance loan during the pandemic.

However, StatiSense, a data company which also confirmed on its X handle yesterday that Nigeria was no longer listed on the list of countries indebted to IMF, revealed that as at July 28, 2023, Nigeria was owing the Fund $1.61 billion, this was reduced to $1.37 billion as at January 5, 2024; $933.03 million as at July 10, 2024; $472.06 million as at January 8, 2025, before it was finally settled this month.

It was learnt that the value was converted from Special Drawing Rights (SDR), an international reserve asset created by the IMF to supplement the official reserves of its member countries, to US dollars.

In a post on his X handle, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Engagement, Strategy, and New Media, O’tega Ogra, said the development was a signal of discipline, reform, and strategic reset by the Tinubu-Shettima administration in restructuring “our finances to enable us to be better placed for a prosperous future.”

He added: “As Nigeria closes the chapter on these legacy debt obligations, we are better placed to strengthen our fiscal credibility and show the world, and ourselves, that Nigeria is serious about managing our economy with responsibility and vision.

“Does this mean no more business with the IMF or other foreign lenders? No! Nigeria still remains a member of the IMF and can approach it at any time if the situation demands. This is definitely not a door slammed shut.

“Why? Because global partnerships like the IMF remain valuable allies, especially in a world defined by volatility and uncertainty. The difference now is that any future engagement will be proactive, not reactive, and will also be based on partnership, not dependence. Debt clearance today, reform momentum tomorrow.

“President Bola Tinubu will continue to prioritise long-term reforms with sound financial management for the benefit of our country and generations yet unborn. Nigeria is rising with clarity, capacity, and credibility, and this is why you should take a #BetOnNigeria.”

The IMF recently commended Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms, describing them as bold measures that have helped stabilise the economy and laid the groundwork for future growth.

The IMF, in its recent 2025 Article IV Consultation Mission to Nigeria, last month, by a team led by Axel Schimmelpfennig, stated: “The Nigerian authorities have taken important steps to stabilise the economy, enhance resilience, and support growth. These reforms have put Nigeria in a better position to navigate the external environment.

“The macroeconomic outlook is marked by significant uncertainty. Elevated global risk sentiment and lower oil prices impact the Nigerian economy.

“Macroeconomic policies need to further strengthen buffers and resilience, reduce inflation, and support private sector-led growth.”

Schimmelpfennig in the statement had noted that the cessation of deficit financing by the CBN, the removal of costly fuel subsidies, and improvements in the foreign exchange market were major policy shifts that signaled a commitment to reform.

He stated: “The Nigerian authorities have taken important steps to stabilise the economy, enhance resilience, and support growth. The financing of the fiscal deficit by the central bank has ceased, costly fuel subsidies were removed, and the functioning of the foreign exchange market has improved.”