A group from Northern Nigeria recently revealed that they turned down a N200 million bribe that was offered to them to organize a protest against President Bola Tinubu and Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence.
In a statement released on Saturday in Kaduna, the Northern Socio-Political Rights Network (NSPRN) shared that the bribe was offered earlier in the week. The individuals who made the offer had clear instructions to accuse President Tinubu of protecting Matawalle from investigations into corruption.
Mohammed Farouk Lawal, the president of NSPR Network, explained that this plot was part of a broader strategy to weaken the Federal Government’s influence in the North-West. The goal was to discredit and undermine the key appointees who are loyal to the president, especially Matawalle.
“We were approached by individuals who said they represented top officials from Zamfara state. They offered us N200 million to organize a major protest in Abuja targeting both President Tinubu and Matawalle,” Lawal said. The plan was to create the impression that the Northern people were upset with the president, especially regarding the perception that some ministers were being protected from investigations.
The group made it clear that they immediately rejected the offer. “They thought that because our group is well-respected and has strong ties with the people in the North, we could help spread their false narrative. But we are not for sale,” Lawal declared.
NSPRN also exposed some of the details of the planned protest. The deal included reading out pre-written scripts at press conferences, organizing a protest at the EFCC headquarters, and creating viral videos calling for Matawalle’s arrest.
The Northern group argued that this offer revealed that the recent protests against Matawalle were not truly organic or grassroots-driven. Instead, they believe that these actions are part of a bigger internal conflict against President Tinubu’s appointees, with the aim of causing division ahead of the 2027 elections.
Finally, the NSPR Network urged security agencies to investigate the source of the funds used to sponsor political protests in the capital. They warned that if this kind of manipulation continues unchecked, it could pose a threat to the stability of the nation.
