By Charles Pemu 
Abuja, Nigeria — The Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, has fiercely defended the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, dismissing the allegation that the Minister forged his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate. Agbese described the controversy as a calculated “hoax sponsored by desperate politicians threatened by competence and results.”
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, Agbese characterized the claims as “baseless political blackmail,” asserting they are part of a wider plot to destabilize one of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet members and derail the crucial “Renewed Hope Agenda” through deliberate character assassination and media propaganda.
The lawmaker argued that the attacks stem from “enemies of progress who cannot stand the pace of reform and innovation” brought by the Minister. He suggested that whenever an effective young leader begins to transform the old order, the predictable tactic is to invent fake scandals, but stressed that the Nigerian public has grown wiser to such political schemes.
Agbese then provided a glowing assessment of Tunji-Ojo’s performance, hailing him as a “reform-minded public servant” whose impact has been swiftly felt across the nation.
He highlighted the Minister’s immediate success in tackling institutional challenges: Dr. Tunji-Ojo successfully cleared over two hundred thousand passport backlogs in a mere three weeks and introduced digital systems that have drastically curtailed touting and racketeering. The result is that citizens now secure their passports within days, rather than enduring months of frustration. The Minister has also opened new passport offices globally to better serve Nigerians in the diaspora.
Agbese maintained that the Minister’s drive for reform extends far beyond the Nigeria Immigration Service into the correctional and paramilitary sectors. He has been credited with restoring discipline in the correctional system, decongesting prisons by releasing over forty-five hundred inmates, introducing biometric systems to track escapees, and virtually eliminating jailbreaks. Furthermore, he noted, the Minister has significantly improved welfare, ensured timely promotions, and established digital monitoring systems across the paramilitary agencies.
The Deputy Spokesman unequivocally stated that Tunji-Ojo’s demonstrated record of transparency and efficiency serves as the ultimate response to his critics. He pointed to the fact that the Interior Ministry has successfully generated over six billion Naira in revenue this year alone, confirming that “Performance is the best proof of integrity.”
Agbese strongly cautioned against the “weaponization of social media for character assassination,” urging that any legitimate concerns be channeled through appropriate legal and institutional frameworks, allowing the rule of law to prevail over rumour and blackmail.
Concluding his defense, Agbese reaffirmed Tunji-Ojo’s value to the government, declaring him a “super-performing minister” and “parliament’s treasured asset” a young, competent, and patriotic leader whose brand of leadership perfectly embodies the Renewed Hope Agenda. He declared that those seeking to destroy him with fake allegations are destined to fail because performance and truth will always override political propaganda.