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Swear with Quran you’ve no hand in banditry, as I did, Matawalle dares Lawal
Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence, has clapped back at Dauda Lawal, his successor in office, who accused him last week, of being in bed with the bandits terrorising Zamfara State and beyond, saying instead, it is the governor and his supporters that should swear that they have no link with the hoodlums or hand in their activities.
Lawal, a guest of TVC Television network, had accused the former governor of being so involved with banditry in the state that apart from habouring the criminals at the government house, but his office actually served as a conduit pipe for channelling ransom money from victims of kidnapping activities to their abductors.
But in his riposte on Tuesday, Matawalle, who appeared on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television dismissed the allegations of aiding banditry, daring the governor and others similarly accusing him of being complicit in the criminal activities to provide evidence to prove what they were saying.
Against the backdrop of the call for him to resign from his job and defend himself not only over his alleged connivance with bandits, but engaging in massive corruption and misappropriating of government resources, running into more than N250billion the Minister defended his decision to engage in dialogue with bandits, saying it was the best he could do to redeem the situation at that time and that the idea, which was actually supported by several governors, led to the recovery of abducted persons and ammunition in Zamfara.
Daring his accusers to provide proof of being in bed with the outlaws, he said: “Because I dialogue? It was not only I. Remember all the governors dialogued. The governor of Niger state dialogued with bandits, the governor of Sokoto did the same. Why only me? Because it is Zamfara? Zamfara is a very complex state with terrible human beings with devilish ideas”
Brushing aside the allegation, the Minister said those accusing him were actually the people hobnobbing with the bandits and involved in the criminal activities, daring them to swear with the Holy Quran to prove their innocence.
His words: “Let me remind you, I was the only governor that swore to the Holy Quran that I have no hand or connection with banditry or I am not happy with what is happening. That if I am happy or if I am part of it or if I know those doing it or if I am collaborating with them God should not give me one-second grace.
“I challenged all the politicians, including General Ali Gusau and Dauda Lawal, to do the same. None of them could take the oath, and if they don’t take the oath that means they are part of it.
“I have always acted in good faith, as have other governors who engaged in dialogue with bandits, including the Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, and the Governor of Sokoto State. Yet, I seem to be singled out, perhaps because Zamfara is a complex state with terrible human beings with devilish ideas.”
Matawalle, also denied allegations of massive fraud, claiming that what were being said about him were fabrications Lawal, saying the kind of money being mentioned by his successor was never received in the state in the four years he was in office.
Hear him: “In my four years, I did not ever receive that money. The records are there, the indices are with the Ministry of Finance. It is on record, and let me tell you, I don’t understand; I pity Dauda (Zamfara Gov). I thought for now he should concentrate on giving good governance to the people of Zamfara State.
“I thought, for now, he should concentrate on the issue of insecurity. I thought, for now, he should realise that governance is a continuous process because if he is in that seat today, tomorrow he will not be. But how can someone come and be telling lies, a whole governor coming to deceive the public?”
“These timeless virtues of devotion, selflessness, and submission to divine will are values our nation desperately needs today,” were the exact words with which Godswill Akpabio, attempted to rouse Nigerians to the ethos of unquestionable faith and service to the country.
Akpabio, Chairman of the National Assembly, who drew example from Prophet Ibrahim, admonished Nigerians to emulate his unwavering faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Almighty Allah.
The Senate President, who conveyed his sentiments via a statement by Eseme Eyiboh, also used the specifically hail President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his vice, Kashim Shettima and Muslim faithful in Nigeria and around the world as they celebrate Eid El Kabir.
Stressing that the occasion called for prayer and sober reflection on the theme of sacrifice, he added: “This sacred occasion reminds us of Prophet Ibrahim’s unwavering faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Almighty Allah.
“To our dear President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his vice, Senator Kashim Shettima and Muslim brothers and sisters, I felicitate with them on behalf of my family, constituents and the Senate on this blessed Eid. May the lessons of sacrifice, compassion, and generosity that define this season strengthen your faith and bring peace to your homes.
“As you share with the less privileged and extend love to neighbours of all faiths, you embody the true spirit of Nigeria. To all Nigerians, I urge us to use this solemn period to pray fervently for peace, security, and prosperity in our land. Let us pray for our troops in the frontlines, for farmers to return safely to their fields, and for unity to prevail over division in our Nation.
“Eid El Kabir also calls us to deep reflection on the future of our country. Just as Prophet Ibrahim was tested, Nigeria is in a season of testing. The sacrifices we make today in patience, in tolerance and in choosing hope over despair will determine the Nigeria our children inherit.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of this administration, supported by the National Assembly, is anchored on that same principle: that meaningful progress often requires collective sacrifice.
“May Almighty Allah accept your prayers and sacrifices. May He heal our land, guide our leaders, and bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Barka da Sallah. Eid Mubarak.”
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps.”
These were the exact words of Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, one of the presidential aspirants of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with which he cast a slur on the ongoing presidential primaries of the party, hinging his position on reports of fraud trailing the exercise.
Hayatu-Deen, a second timer in the search for the nation’s number one job, ran against Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President and Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation.
In a statement on his assessment of the exercise which began on Monday, the renowned economist Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), used his X platform to convey his dissatisfaction with the process.
The ADC which said the collation for the exercise would take place in Abuja had urged aspirants, party leaders, delegates, and members to conduct themselves peacefully and uphold party unity.
Bolaji Abdullahi, its spokesman, who described the exercise as a defining moment for both the ADC and Nigerians seeking a credible political alternative, maintained that it remained committed to internal democracy and a transparent leadership selection process.
“The ADC remains proud to stand today as the only truly democratic party in Nigeria because it is the only political party whose choice of presidential candidate is determined through open primaries,” he said adding that the conduct of aspirants and party members during the exercise would reflect the leadership culture the ADC seeks to promote.
Peter Obi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the 2023 presidential election, on Tuesday, scoffed at the 45 million vote figure he supposedly scored during the primaries of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), dismissing it as fake.
Obi, sole candidate of the party for the presidential primaries in the 2027 election, attributed the development to the handiwork of forces pushing for the validation of fraud, an obvious shade at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which on Monday announced President Bola Tinubu as its candidate, with a whopping 11 million votes.
A groundswell of Nigerians had expressed amazement the huge figure, dismissing it as not only outrageously improbable but outrightly false and a gambit to skew the narrative early enough for a more sinister political gameplan ahead of the presidential election.
Obi, whose reaction came through his media office, while toeing the same line on Tuesday, urged Nigerians to disregard the figures being attributed to him, saying the NDC was yet to hold its primaries to determine his votes.
The statement, read: “The attention of the Peter Obi Media Office has been drawn to certain 45m primary vote figures currently circulating on social media and various news platforms, purporting to be the breakdown of official results from an imaginary primary by the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC ascribed to Mr Peter Obi.
“We wish to state categorically that these figures are entirely false, fabricated, as such, the primary never took place and no figure was generated from any process. We urge the general public, party supporters, and members of the press and the public to completely disregard these misleading statistics.
“Official and accurate information regarding Mr Peter Obi’s engagements and political processes will always be communicated through our verified and authorised channels and appropriately signed. Those behind this fraudulent figure attribution to Peter Obi are looking for partners in their fraud but they should look elsewhere not with Peter Obi.”
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