“We were framed” – Group exposes plot against Tinubu’s minister

The Concerned Northern Forum (CNF) has denounced what it calls a politically motivated conspiracy aimed at tarnishing the image of the Minister of State for Defence and former Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle.

The Forum alleged that the smear campaign was orchestrated by loyalists of the current Zamfara Governor, Dauda Lawal.

Speaking in a statement on Tuesday evening, CNF Secretary, Abubakar Suleiman, disowned a press conference held in Kaduna on Monday, where a man identifying himself as CNF chairman, Alhaji Aliyu Muhammad Sani, accused Matawalle of financial impropriety.

Suleiman described the event as a “shameful charade,” claiming it was sponsored with a ₦200 million bribe from individuals linked to Governor Lawal in a desperate attempt to discredit the Minister and deflect attention from the failures of the current Zamfara administration.

“Governor Dauda Lawal and his people have tried everything possible to tarnish Matawalle’s image. This time, they bribed a handful of desperate individuals with ₦200 million to hijack our platform and stage a scripted attack. We disown that charade in its entirety,” Suleiman declared.

He clarified that the CNF did not sanction the event and had previously cautioned Aliyu Sani against dragging the group into political conflicts.

According to him, no meeting was held, no consensus was reached, and no mandate was issued for the controversial press briefing.

Further alleging that more than ₦10 billion in local government funds have been diverted by Governor Lawal’s administration to sponsor political propaganda, Suleiman lamented the deteriorating state of insecurity and governance in Zamfara.

“Zamfara is on its knees. Insecurity is worsening, people are suffering, and instead of addressing real problems, this administration is spending public funds on media stunts,” he said.

He also revealed that genuine CNF members distanced themselves from the Monday press briefing after discovering that non-members and political thugs had been recruited and paid ₦200,000 each to participate—funds he claims are traceable to the governor’s camp.

In a bold appeal to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Suleiman urged the agency to avoid being used for political witch-hunts and instead probe Governor Lawal’s financial dealings.

“We challenge the EFCC to look into the billions received and mismanaged by Dauda Lawal in the past two years. His hands are not clean,” he stated.

The Forum warned that unless a public apology is issued and the false claims retracted, legal action would be taken to protect the group’s name and integrity.