Zamfara PDP resorting to character assassination against Gov Matawalle – APC

By IBRAHIM KANOMA, Gusau

The Zamfara State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been accused of resorting to assassinating the character of the state governor, Hon. Mohammed Bello Matawalle, having failed to reverse his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) through threats and court charges.

Alhaji Yusuf Idris Gusau, the state APC Publicity Secretary, made the accusation during what he called his first press conference in 2022, saying the “the frailed muscle PDP having exhausted their antics felt they can still fool the good people of Zamfara by placing his excellency and the APC in bad light on the issue of security where they seem to assert that the governor has not done enough.”

The press conference, our Correspondent said, was held in reaction to what the APC described as unnecessary and unpopular rantings of the PDP in Zamfara State.”

He said, “They forgot that given the chance, they couldn’t have done one percent of what the governor did in addressing the security challenges.”

Idris Gusau, who until his election recently as party’s spokesman, was Director General, Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications to the Governor, said the efforts of Governor Matawalle to end insecurity in the state are verifiable and yielding results.

“You are all living witnesses to the fact that the governor even though he is not in full control of the security agencies, has done a lot to improve their performance through the donation of 300 brand new Hilux vans to ease patrol and operations in addition to regular release of funds to the personnel as incentive which has in turn decimated the hitherto wanton attacks.

“Matawallen Maradun is the first governor to set up a Ministry of Security and Home Affairs because of his concern in addressing the security challenges and he also established the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, both ministries are doing very well for the purposes they were established. In addition, the governor approved the recruitment and training of 500 youths from each of the 17 Emirates of the state and with their knowledge of their respective areas, they are all doing very well too in complementing the efforts of the formal security making it easier to track down and deal with the criminals.

“However, the reason why the PDP is not happy with the feat being attained by the governor and the APC in addressing insecurity in the state is because they are the ones behind the criminals, thus fighting bandits is like fighting the PDP in the state.

“As you may have seen in the Jabaka statement, they recognized the effort of the governor in going to Niger Republic to discuss security issues with the authorities there since we share some boundaries with them, but having been clouded by their envy and mischief, the PDP stated also that it was not the right time because as they said, ‘the governor was enjoying himself,’ they should have explained what the right time would have been or what the enjoyment was in that hectic trip and why they chose to ignore the benefits of the trip to Zamfara and Nigeria in general as carried through the press releases presented to the public by the governor’s Special Adviser on media,” he said.

The APC Spokesman added that even if the attacks do not stop talk less that they will stop, that the attacks will not deter the governor from bringing the best to the good people of Zamfara State.

“While it has been globally discovered that the bandits terrorizing the north western states and Zamfara state in particular share common interests with highly placed mining site owners and the miners, such untouchables as it is include, retired General Ali Gusau who is father to the state Deputy Governor, Barr. Mahdi Ali Gusau.”

Currently, the APC said General Gusau owns over 70 percent of mining sites in Zamfara State and urged the security agencies to “investigate why we never hear any fracas between these miners and the bandits even though both operate in the bushes of the state. I will also urge you gentlemen of the press to carryout an investigative report on this, the result and outcome will shock you to your bones”

Similarly, as witnesses in the state, Yusuf Idris Gusau took journalists to bearing him witness that when Governor Matawalle was still in the PDP and facing serious security challenges, neither the PDP national leadership nor its governors shared the pains of Zamfara until, according to him, they were put to shame by the APC.

The APC, he said, “came in full force to commiserate with the people and government of our dear state” before the PDP copied from such visit.

“Also, you remember the governor had challenged all good leaders of the state to come forward and swear that they have no hand in supporting armed banditry in the state and for them to also join him to fashion out best ways of addressing the insecurity bedeviling the state, you can tell me if they came, the reason is not farfetched, just investigate you will see why.

“Don’t forget, it was this same Governor Matawalle whose effort; single handedly led to the reopening of hitherto closed roads and markets linking and connecting communities within and outside the state which were shut due to armed bandits’ activities, or is it that the PDP people don’t know all these.

“All their concerns are tied to winning the 2023 general elections and they are trying to tarnish the good image of the governor and the APC thinking that it will make them win. If you take the so-called chairman of the PDP who came from the military dictatorship thinking he would win election in the state, he failed to realize that times have changed and youths are now taking over with their vibrance and if you now take their so-called party leader, the deputy governor, all he has in his mind is how to be governor, but he can’t even mention the names of polling units in his constituency talkless of communicating fluently in the local language which is Hausa and which majority of the electorates speak and understand, so how can he convince us that he means well for Zamfara which he still doesn’t know.

“Now on the statement credited to one Prof. Kabiru Jabaka, it is still fresh in our memory that while as Chairman of the state’s Zakkat and Endowment Board, Jabaka was sacked from the position by the board of directors for corruptly dipping his hands into the money meant for the underprivileged, the weak, orphans and widows in the state only for him to start printing posters that he wants to contest for a senatorial position in the coming election, an investigative committee set up by the government has found him wanting over the allegations.

“The same Prof. Jabaka was sacked by and from former governor Yari’s cabinet over his dubious attitude, so what has he to tell Zamfara people, it is said that ‘if you want to come for justice, you must come with clean hands.’

“Next is the Deputy Governor, Barr. Mahadi, we as a party, the APC, will like the state House of Assembly especially the Finance and Appropriation Committee to investigate how he utilized the N700 million given to him as office monthly imprest.

“If you want more exposures, it was he and his father that are the brains behind the carnages we are facing, no thanks to their hands for bringing the 11 Chinese nationals who as you can remember were arrested by the police in Zamfara in connection with illegal mining and alleged supply of weapons to bandits but you never heard about them again because they were released on bail to Barr. Mahdi Ali Gusau, the case is still on course. Not to mention that their fight with the governor and the APC also largely followed the governor’s formal request to and approval by President Muhammadu Buhari suspending all mining activities in the state. On this too, we urge our gallant security agencies in the state to continue to be vigilant on the mining sites for more discoveries and revelations.

“Bala Mande is the immediate past Chief of Staff, Government House under Matawalle, as a retired Colonel who occupied such sensitive position, what were his contributions in addressing insecurity or did he only collect Zamfara tax payers money including how he was sponsored overseas by the governor for a heart surgery that made him feel better to come and challenge the good man who put him in that position, don’t forget, Col. Mande was PDP governorship candidate disgraced by the ANPP in 2003 and is still bitter.

“Gentlemen of the press, let me not bother you too much because we shall be reviewing these people and their antics from time to time and l want to reassure you and the good people of Zamfara that no matter how these people push, our governor, the Khadimul Qur’an will remain focused in bringing the dividends of democracy to our people throughout the state and in protecting their lives and property to the best of his ability and we will continue to appreciate and cherish the people’s support and prayers,” the APC Spokesman, Yusuf Idris Gusau, concluded his press conference address.