By Ikeddy ISIGUZO

THREE weeks after Alwan Hassan, a spokesman of Tinubu’s campaign council, accused some Ministers in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government of offering bribes running to billions of Naira to be appointed, he has been banned from speaking about Tinubu, the campaign, and the ruling party.

Hassan’s colleagues tried to deny the allegation he made on live television. They claimed Hassan was referring to past administrations, not Tinubu’s where bribery was haram.

They were wasting their time. Hassan was very clear, calling the Ministers criminals whose major interest was in the recovery of the billions they invested in their ministerial bid.

For that reason, Tinubu was unwilling to release the capital votes of their Ministries to them because he expects that the Ministers will take the money, Hassan had claimed.

In November 2025, Hassan had accused Senate President Obong Godswill Obot Akpabio and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin of receiving a $10 million bribe from power sector players (Gencos and Discos) to block the confirmation of Abdullahi Garba Ramat as Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Hassan recanted quickly under threat of legal action, withdrew the allegations and tendered an apology.

On Tuesday 10 November Hassan sauntered into the studio of Channels TV, Abuja with the aplomb of someone with something important to say. His confidence filled the room.

“Take your phone and call 112. Nobody knows about this. We used to hear about it in America. Put it on speaker, Seun. Welcome to Nigeria,” Hassan said.

Hassan was marketing one of Tinubu’s unsung achievements, the national emergency number, 112, which he said handled all types of emergencies – illnesses, accidents, bandit attacks, kidnaps.

Just call 112 and help will be on the way. He was triumphant about how Tinubu had been coming to the rescue of troubled Nigerians.

The choice of live television for the demonstration of the Tinubu mega achievement backfired in minutes. The calls never connected. Seun tried. Hassan tried.

Hassan’s enthusiasm withered like a high priest who the gods rejected his sacrifice. His confidence drained fast.

Quick excuses surfaced. It could have been a network issue. No, Hassan had explained the device did not need a network to operate.

Was it possible Hassan did not know how to operate 112 or that the service was no longer working and nobody told Hassan?

The edgy ruling party had no time to manage the avalanche of criticisms that descended on Hassan.

Within 24 hours Hassan was thrown into an unnamed role within the humongous campaign bureaucracy? He will never speak for Tinubu again.

Hassan also dabbled into the truth about hunger that Tinubu’s reforms had spread across the land, claiming the opposition was making it seem more serious than it was. Tinubu, in his few instances of momentary wakefulness, is troubled by the hunger he caused. He would rather it is not discussed.

Femi Gbajabiamila, Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, said only three people, the campaign Director-General, Abdulaziz Yari, the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Dele Alake, and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, were allowed to speak for President Tinubu.

All other spokespersons have now been stripped of their roles and absorbed into the Directorate of Media and Strategic Communications as ordinary members. Those affected are Alwan Hassan, Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu, and Adamu Fanda.

The 112 project that Hassan claimed as if it was something extraordinary was not even a Tinubu project. A timeline:

• 2005: Prompted in part by the tragic crash of Bellview Flight 201, the Federal Ministry of Communications set up a multi-stakeholder committee to develop a framework for a nationwide public protection and disaster relief communication system

• September 23, 2019: The National Emergency Toll-Free number 112 was officially commissioned and launched nationally (along with the Katsina State Emergency Communication Centre) by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

• March 2020: The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Communication Centre and number were officially unveiled.

• April 30, 2026: The National Economic Council gave formal approval to further adopt and unify 112 as the single national emergency number across all tiers of government and response agencies.

• September 2026: “Let’s make progress so that whatever time we have spent here is worth spending. And most importantly, the engine is finance. It is the resources to drive the process. And I want to assure you that we will get the resources,” Vice-President Kashim Shettima told a committee working on the roll out of the project.

The 112 project was initiated by the Obasanjo regime, passed through Yar’Adua and Jonathan, and Buhari. Tinubu is invited to complete it.

Hassan has thoroughly embarrassed Tinubu who is pointing out uncompleted projects to prove that his blighted presidency is not the unmitigated disaster that it is.

Who will go after Hassan? Perhaps, Senator Abdulaziz Yari who mocks Nigerians for the hunger in the land. He calls Nigerians who cannot cope with the consequences of Tinubu’s reforms lazy.

Finally…

YESTERDAY, November 14, Tinubu campaigned in Jos, seven months after his condolence visit, following deadly attacks on Anguwan Rukuba, which was restricted to the airport and ended in minutes. Tinubu apologised for the hurried April visit. The 5,000 security cameras Tinubu promised to deploy in the region had arrived, he told the crowd, but it had become 1,000 security cameras.

INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan hopefully felt the pulse of Nigeria during his London visit. The encounter spoke about the anger of Nigerians abroad – imagine what those at home feel – about the independence, fairness, and willingness of INEC to conduct free and fair elections. Some are retorting that the protesters were hired. They can believe what they want.

NYESOM Wike is taking his notoriety for lawlessness to new notches. Is his promise of N10 million to every FCT Councillor who delivers his ward to Tinubu not vote buying? And he can say it and get away with it?

It was great to hear the ruling party condemn attacks on events of opposition parties. It would be better to see the police take measures to protect those being attacked.

VIDEO clips of worshippers shouting “Bamayi” as Tinubu’s convoy rolled out after jum’mat service on Friday, in Abuja, tells its own story.

•ISIGUZO is a major commentator on minor issues.