The Zamfara Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state due to the ongoing security challenges it is facing.
This request was made in a statement issued in Gusau on Saturday by the State APC Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris.
The statement reads; “We are appealing to President Bola Tinubu to enforce a state of emergency in the state over insecurity.
People of Zamfara have lost the confidence in the ability of the administration of Gov. Dauda Lawal to deal with the security situation in the state.
The Zamfara APC chapter commended the ongoing onslaught on bandits and terrorists in the state by the military in the North-Western states under the coordination and supervision of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.”
Idris stated that the ongoing military operations in the North-West, as directed by Tinubu, are producing uncertain and unprecedented results.
He added, “Bandits’ leaders and their gangs have been subdued by the current development of the Federal Government’s fight against banditry.
“This is very impressive and needs to be sustained at all costs so that the region will be free from all forms of criminality.
“But as a party, we observe with dismay how the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal is trying to sabotage the ongoing onslaught through his media campaigns to distract the effort of the federal government under the coordination of the Minister of State for Defence to succeed”.
“This is because the ongoing military operations is scuttling his 2027 campaigns plan in which he intended to use insecurity as he did during the 2023 general elections.”
”Gov. Dauda is now bent on distracting the operation through media campaigns and propaganda.
”This is just as he is toying with the security of lives and properties of innocent Zamfara citizens for his political gains,” he opined.
“This is why we are calling on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on Zamfara so as to spoil the mischievous plan”.
This need is highly desirable so that the operation can go unhindered and the security operatives can go into the state without the gover6nor and government of Zamfara politicizing the manhunt”.
“Governor Dauda Lawal has already begun by portraying himself as if he’s the sole sponsor of the operation for which he has no hand”.
The APC also criticized Governor Lawal for not taking significant action regarding security since assuming office in May of last year.
The party emphasized that Governor Lawal has consistently targeted his predecessor, Matawalle, with attacks that include direct assaults on the Minister’s property and unfounded accusations, which have often gone unheeded.
According to the APC, Matawalle had numerous opportunities, both as Minister of Defence and as a citizen of Zamfara, to collaborate with Governor Lawal in combating banditry, even before the situation escalated into a frequent occurrence of kidnappings for ransom and other serious crimes.
The party noted that President Tinubu, responding to the widespread outcry, has directed the Minister of State for Defence to collaborate with the Chief of Defence Staff at the Defence Headquarters to coordinate a comprehensive effort aimed at eradicating the bandits operating in the region, with the goal of restoring peace throughout the area and the nation as a whole.
“Full of energy, the Minister and his fighters have effectively carried out the onerous task, decimating the criminals, their leaders and camps and receiving accolades from all over the world except from Governor Dauda Lawal and his team who are not happy with the onslaught being handled by Matawalle”.
“Since there is nothing they can do however, the Governor has now, as usual, turned to politicizing and indirectly fighting Matawalle by revisiting his (Dauda’s) earlier accusations that Matawalle embezzled Zamfara money, left nothing for the incoming administration”
“He has been busy buying airtime at some media outlets to claim being the one coordinating the fight alongside the military without any recognition of Minister’s”.
