The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on Governor Dauda Lawal to stop blaming his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, and the APC for his administration’s failure to curb the escalating banditry in the region.
In a statement released by the party’s spokesperson, Alhaji Yusuf Idris, the APC accused the governor of deflecting responsibility and failing to address the state’s security challenges, despite having campaigned heavily on promises to eliminate banditry within his first months in office. Instead, Lawal continues to level accusations against the former administration, alleging their complicity in his inability to fulfil campaign promises.
“The Dauda campaign team used insecurity as a key weapon against Matawalle’s leadership,” Idris said, “yet, after a year in power, the governor has failed to deliver on his pledge to defeat the bandits. Now, his administration blames the APC for the ongoing crisis.”
The APC also condemned what it described as the mismanagement of state funds, claiming that Governor Lawal’s administration recently withdrew ₦1.3 billion, purportedly for reconciliation efforts with bandits and for media-related activities. Idris suggested that this money had been handed over to bandits, yet the PDP-led government continued to pin responsibility for Zamfara’s insecurity on the APC.
A leaked memo, allegedly signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Nakwada, and requesting the governor’s approval for payments to bandits and journalists, has gone viral. The APC dismissed any attempts to place sole blame on the opposition, accusing the ruling government of engaging in “political gimmicks” to deflect from its own failures.
Idris compared the current administration’s strategy to that of Matawalle’s, whose approach, he argued, had achieved relative success through reconciliation with bandits. He criticised Governor Lawal for rejecting this method, asserting that the governor had run out of ideas, leaving the people vulnerable to the ongoing wave of kidnappings, killings, and extortion by bandit groups.
“Communities across Zamfara are now being forced to pay levies to the bandits, with threats of violence looming over them if they fail to meet the criminals’ demands,” Idris said, pointing to the recent example of the Moriki community. He lamented the governor’s apparent indifference, accusing Lawal of neglecting victims while prioritising personal trips.
The APC also raised questions about the recent resignation of M.D Abubakar, the chairman of the state Security Trust Fund. Idris demanded an explanation from the government, calling for transparency regarding the reasons for Abubakar’s departure, which has fuelled further concerns about the administration’s handling of security matters.
Furthermore, the APC decried the growing humanitarian crisis, as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state increasingly turn to begging due to the government’s failure to offer adequate support. Idris called on Governor Lawal to act decisively, urging him to stop politicising security issues and to deliver the concrete solutions he promised.
“Now is the time for action, not blame or propaganda,” the statement concluded, warning that Zamfara’s citizens remain helpless as insecurity worsens.
