Skip to main content

Exclusive: Zamfara Gov. Daudal Lawal Weaponises Fake News Against Tibunu’s Government



The Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal has reportedly escalated moves to undermine President Bola Tinubu’s administration after failing to get a nod to defect from his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC). 

Sources familiar with actions taken by the governor’s camp cited a report by an online platform, titled “EXCLUSIVE: How Tinubu’s Defence Minister Matawalle Maintains Contact With Bandit Leaders, Ordered Them To Compel Communities To Vote For APC — Former Aide” as the start of a disinformation campaign to target President Tinubu through his appointees. 

One of the sources, who craved anonymity because of the fear of reprisal, revealed that the Zamfara state governor has given a marching order for his associates to “Unleash calculated spread of misinformation to deflect attention from his own dealings while sowing discord within the government at the center.” 

He further revealed that “The story on Matawalle, for instance, is only the first among things that would come out soon. You can see how it relied on someone they kept referring to as the Minister’s former aide. It was a deliberate tactic to discredit Tinubu’s allies, especially by floating and fueling stories that implicate key figures in the security challenges in the Northwest.”  

Another source revealed that Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, who previously served as Honorary Special Adviser on Inter-Governmental Affairs to former Zamfara State Governor and current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, was the person behind the story attempting to implicate the Minister in banditry. 

He said, “Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi is the person they used in that story. Interestingly, some of us had warned that it could backfire because the same Shinkafi was even arrested in the past with terrorist links and he is presently a very close ally of the Governor. So, by the same token His Excellency Dauda Lawal must also be accused of being in bed with bandits.” 

“Shinkafi had calculated that he could increase his political estate when the governor defects to the APC have been upset that this would not happen so long as Matawalle continues to deliver as Minister of State for Defence. So, he is leveraging his past as Matawalle’s ex-aide to be feeding Dauda Lawal and Sahara Reporters with false reports,” the source explained.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court Sets Aside Arrest, Remand, Wanted Declaration Against Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi

A Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, has set aside its earlier ex-parte order authorizing the arrest, remand, and “wanted” declaration of Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, also known as Hammed Ajiran. The development follows the earlier declaration of Akanbi as wanted for alleged multiple murder by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Olorundare Jimoh, on February 19, 2026. However, in a ruling delivered today, Magistrate L.A. Owolabi of Magistrate Court 3 nullified the ex-parte order initially granted on February 16, 2026. In his decision, Magistrate Owolabi held that the order was obtained through the concealment of material facts. The court specifically noted that the counsel who filed and argued the application, Nosa Watson Uhumwangho, was under suspension by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee at the time and therefore lacked the right of audience before the court. The ruling sparked jubilation among members of the youth wing of the Ojomu royal family, who...
Post a Comment
Read more

Court Cautions Police, Orders Proper Invitation of Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi

A Lagos State Magistrate Court has cautioned the Lagos State Police Command and directed that proper procedures be followed in the handling of the case involving Mr. Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, also known as Hammed Ajiran, in what is seen as a setback for individuals including Bashir Fakorede, Jide Akinloye, and Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG Jimoh Moshood. Presiding over proceedings in the Ogba Magisterial District, Magistrate A. J. Odueke, in Charge No: MISC/126/2026, held that the police must formally invite Akanbi rather than declare him wanted. The Court further stated that an order for arrest would only be considered if he fails to honour such an invitation. The Court noted that it was mindful of previous proceedings in Charge No: MCIK/60A/2026, where a similar application had earlier been set aside by another Magistrate on March 23, 2026, on the grounds of illegality. Consequently, the Court declined to entertain what it described as a repetition of a defective process. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

TASA Strengthens Alliance With Lagos Student Leaders, Sets Campus Mobilization in Motion Ahead of 2027 General Election

The Tinubu–Ambode Support Associates (TASA) today Wednesday, December 4, 2025, convened a strategic stakeholders’ meeting with student union leaders from across Lagos State, reaffirming the critical role of young people in shaping the democratic direction of the state as preparations intensify toward the 2027 general elections.   The meeting, attended by representatives of 11 tertiary institutions under the coordinated leadership of the Joint Campus Committee (JCC), NANS Lagos Chapter, provided a robust platform for frank political discourse, progressive engagement, and actionable strategies for youth driven political mobilization.   TASA leadership briefed the students on the urgent necessity of active participation in governance, noting that voter apathy particularly among young people significantly affected the 2023 general elections. The association emphasized that the era of leaving political decisions solely in the hands of politicians must end, as such disengagement onl...
Post a Comment
Read more