The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has welcomed the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Lawal announced his exit from the PDP on Monday. In a statement issued by his media aide, Nuhu Anka, the governor attributed the move to “prolonged internal crises, leadership disagreements, and unresolved structural challenges” within the PDP at both the national and state levels.
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Mr Matawalle, who served as the state’s immediate past governor, described the development as a “political reunion” that marks a historic turning point for Zamfara.
“Today marks a historic moment in the political history of our state and our dear nation as we welcome a friend and brother, the Executive Governor of Zamfara State, His Excellency, Dauda Lawal, into our great party, the APC,” Mr Matawalle stated.
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Mr Matawalle said that the governor’s entry into the APC signals a unified front in the fight against the security challenges of the state.
“Zamfara State now requires the collective commitment of all of us to confront and address our challenges, particularly insecurity, while working together to achieve the realization of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda,” he added.
Welcoming the governor into what he described as a “progressive family,” Mr Matawalle urged party loyalists and supporters to set aside past differences and collaborate with the administration to ensure a “more secure, safe, and prosperous Zamfara State.”
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“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has shown us that politics is not war; rather, it is the art of building bridges across rivers of difference. For me, this is a political reunion with my friend and brother. We are a family united by the shared belief that Nigeria can, and must, work for all citizens,” he added
Looking ahead to the next election cycle, Mr Matawalle called for unity within the party ranks.
“To all members of our great party, we must now unite with renewed determination to ensure victory for our party in the 2027 elections. As a true progressive, I will support His Excellency, Dauda Lawal, in pursuing our collective vision for a more secure and prosperous Zamfara State,” he concluded.
The defection of Governor Lawal to the APC comes amidst bitter and long-standing rivalry between him and Mr Matawalle.
Their relationship has been defined by intense political and personal friction since the 2023 general elections, when Governor Lawal, then of the PDP, defeated the incumbent Governor Matawalle of the APC in a shocking upset at the March 2023 polls.
Following the transition, the two leaders engaged in a public “war of words.” Governor Lawal frequently accused Mr Matawalle’s administration of mishandling the state’s resources and failing to curb banditry.
Conversely, Mr Matawalle and his aides often criticised Governor Lawal for allegedly playing politics with the lives of citizens rather than collaborating with the federal government on defense strategies.
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