Minister of State for Defence and immediate past Governor of Zamfara state, Bello Matawalle has formally invited Dauda Lawal, the incumbent governor of the state, to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ibrahim Dosara, former Zamfara commissioner for information, said Matawalle spoke on Saturday while receiving a large crowd of supporters who paid him an Eid-el-Kabir homage at his Maradun residence.
Matawalle asked Lawal to stop “sneaking around” and make his defection to the APC official to enable him to align with “a movement committed to peace, development, and security” in the state.
The minister assured the governor that he holds no personal grudges and would welcome him into the “comfortable fold” of the APC.
“Dauda Lawal should come and join the APC rather than the hide-and-seek type of game the governor is currently playing,” Matawalle was quoted as saying.
Matawalle called on APC supporters in Zamfara to remain committed to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, especially in the areas of security, agriculture, health, and economic development.
He noted that the president had shown genuine concern for the plight of Zamfara residents, particularly through recent counter-terrorism operations that led to the elimination of several terrorist kingpins and their foot soldiers.
According to him, Tinubu has directed security agencies to end insecurity in northern Nigeria before the end of the year — a task he noted the ministry of defence is working hard to implement in coordination with security high commands.
“President Tinubu’s focus is on the development of the country and welcomes all wishing to join the trailblazer of peace, harmony, growth, and development,” he said.
“The governor must justify the humongous federal allocations by delivering visible development projects and basic infrastructure across the state.”
The minister criticised the current Zamfara administration for its “poor handling of security and welfare issues in the state”.
He accused the Lawal-led government of underperformance despite receiving “huge monthly federal allocations”.
Matawalle urged Zamfara residents to support Tinubu’s vision and rally behind efforts to restore peace and prosperity in the state.
