Bello Matawalle, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence and former Zamfara governor, has publicly called on Governor Dauda Lawal to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The invitation came during a Sallah homage by supporters at Matawalle’s home in Maradun on Saturday. The details were later confirmed in a statement by Ibrahim Dosara, ex-Commissioner for Information.
Matawalle, himself a key APC figure, urged the PDP-elected governor to follow due process in joining the ruling party, rather than what he hinted were backdoor attempts. For Zamfara’s development, it is time to align properly with progress, he emphasised.
“Dauda Lawal should come and join the APC rather than the hide-and-seek type of game the governor is currently playing,” Mr Matawalle was quoted as adding.
The minister assured Mr Lawal that he does not hold any grudge against him, adding that the governor was highly welcome into the comfortable fold of the APC.
Mr Matawalle also urged Mr Lawal to join the APC, which he described as the trailblazer of security, progress, development, peace and tranquillity.
The minister emphasised that President Bola Tinubu, as a progressive leader, was a good manager of peace and tranquillity.
“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.
Mr Matawalle assured his teeming supporters of his commitment to their welfare and urged them to continue to support Mr Tinubu for the realisation of his Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the president had Zamfara at heart, and he was always looking forward to salvaging its current situation of insecurity and economic hardship.
The minister recalled how Mr Tinubu’s administration recently eliminated several terrorists kingpins and their foot soldiers, who were hitherto terrorising the state, the region and the county in general.
He said the president had recently ordered the security operatives to bring to an end the spate of insecurity in northern Nigeria before the end of the year.
Mr Matawalle said the Ministry of Defence and the security high commands were working out modalities to ensure compliance with the presidential directives.
He, however, lamented that the Zamfara government was not doing very well in terms of fighting banditry and the welfare of the people.
Mr Matawalle said the Zamfara situation was so despite the huge monthly federal allocations being deployed to the state.
The minister, therefore, enjoined Mr Lawal to justify the humongous federal allocations by providing developmental projects and basic infrastructure across the state.
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