Sack Matawalle As my condition to join APC, Zamfara APC Accused Gov. Lawal

From Babangida Abdullahi Gusau

The Zamfara State All Progressives Congress (APC) accused the Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal for giving condition to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sack Minister Bello Mohammed Matawalle before he will join APC.

The state Publicity Secretary Malan Yusuf Idris Gusau stated this in a statement issued to journalists in Gusau.

The Party said, though a long time ago, governor, Dauda Lawal has been playing hide and seek with his people in the ruling PDP in the state as he lobbies presidency on the one hand pleading to be accepted into the APC and tells the PDP members both within and outside the state on the other hand that nothing will make him join the APC.

“His aides too, who dance to the tunes of their paymaster like zombies, never saw anything good in the APC except for the wise ones who have seen in clear terms the failure of the ruling PDP in the state, come 2027, the return of the APC which mandate was openly stolen, abandon the PDP to declare their loyalty to the APC. The statement read.

Malan Yusuf Idris said, Dauda’s major political rival in the whole world, is his predecessor, now Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle whose political calculations are unmatched by new entrants like Dauda.

“The governor has made several attempts while presenting himself as the governor to condemn all the good efforts Matawalle has been making to ensure peace in all parts of the country by calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove Matawalle owing to what the Dauda’s see as “inadequacies” in the Honourable Minister. Yusuf claims. Added that,

“He doesn’t even allow the President’s billboards erected in any part of the state and wherever they sight any, they send their thugs to destroy it, yet now, he wants to join the APC by giving conditions without meeting the party’s own conditions.

The state party leadership further attributes successes recorded in the current fight against Banditry to the leadership style and experience of the Minister for Defence.

“It is to Matawalle’s credit that right from the Tinubu/Shatima Presidential Campaigns when he served as the Director-General of the whole northwest Campaigns Council and overwhelmingly won in all the states to contribute immensely in bringing the votes in favour of President Tinubu in 2023, never failed in effectively discharging his assigned responsibilities particularly special assignments coming directly from the President in combating insecurity particularly in the northwest and the nation in general.

“It is still fresh in our memories as Nigerians that when once the President and Commander-in-Chief directed Matawalle to relocate to the North West region and coordinate the onslaught against banditry with the military high command, during which many of the criminals announced their surrender, the minister initially tried to set up operational base in Zamfara State (which is considered the epicentre) of the criminals but unfortunately, governor Dauda never gave the permission even though it indirectly came from the President himself.

“The base ultimately was moved to Sokoto when the governor, Ahmed Aliyu happily welcomed the military personnel and the operation recorded appreciable success. The statement said.

The party also said the successful rescuing of the kidnapped Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga in Kebbi State testified the professionalism of the Minister.

“The President again directed Matawalle to coordinate the onerous task alongside the military and in less than a week, all 24 students were safely rescued and handed over to the Kebbi state governor Idris who handed them back to their happy parents.

While all these were happening, governor Dauda Lawal and his aides keep showing deliberate pessimism and calling for Matawalle’s head. The statement attacked