By Isa Murtala
In recent times, instead of being magnanimous in their loss in the 2023 elections and accept the will of Allah, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara state has become embroiled in controversies, echoing the claims of Bello Matawalle, the ousted governor, who once described the APC as a “party of bandits.” In a speech to his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters, Matawalle had alleged that only those interested in becoming informants or engaging in banditry would leave the PDP for the APC. He boldly labeled the entire party leadership as bandits, a statement that remains fresh in the minds of the public.
To this day, no one from the APC has dared to challenge these serious allegations, even now that Matawalle himself has joined the party he once condemned. Now, it is always hard for truths, unveiled in the heat of passion to lose their relevance and Matawalle having revealed, in the heat of passion, the real character of the APC, must have undertaken some self-introspection and realised he was better suited for the party and the proclaimed bandit ideology, perhaps that’s why he upped and joined the APC.
In spite of the mess they’ve bequeathed to the state, especially the glaring insecurity, alleged misappropriation, and poor infrastructure, the APC still has the guts and moral ground to delve into the politics and state’s affairs of Zamfara at a time someone is doing what seems to be rocket science to them.
In the present day Zamfara, particularly now that it isn’t yet time for politicking, every patriotic son and daughter of Zamfara state should be more concerned with how best to contribute and support the Governor Dauda Lawal administration that has since inception demonstrated commitment to get the state out of the woods. Lest we forget, former governor Abdulaziz Yari who’s now a senator once said he’ll relinquish his constitutional power of being the chief security officer of the state and Matawalle who succeeded him claimed he decamped to the APC to enable him fight insecurity effectively.
Tracing the ugly history of the state, the Matawalle’s new abode, APC leaders have been at the forefront of setting Zamfara on the path of underdevelopment and insecurity as they’ve in various fora accused and counter accused themselves of being complicit. In fact, some accusations he has against Yari and vice versa are too weighty to be ignored or swept under the carpet and that was what the electorate would never forget. The decision to edge out the APC in 2023 was evident.
Indeed, this could be the only explanation why, despite the passing of elections, the APC in Zamfara continues to grapple with its defeat at the polls while displaying the kind of bandits behaviour that its leader, Matawalle, made public knowledge long ago. Like bandits using falsehood to spread fear among their victims, some APC members have resorted to spreading falsehoods and engaging in character assassination against the victorious PDP just so they could remain relevant.
These tactics are used to detract from the progress being made by the PDP government, which is achieving in just one year what the APC failed to accomplish in 16 years. Yet, APC’s failed leaders continue to drum themselves into the ostrich pose in a desperate attempt to hide their heads in the sand while the rest of their body is exposed.
Above is the only explanation why these political operatives naively believe that by launching constant attacks on the PDP, they can divert attention from some scathing accusations plaguing them.
Nevertheless, one still expects some sort of shame or reflection on these serious allegations, especially from people who once had the opportunity to govern Zamfara state instead of some APC members in Zamfara insulting people’s intelligence. It is time for these party miscreants to step back and reflect on the damage done to the state. Reflect on their relationship with the past and the army of miscreants they created.
It is time to remind the APC that in place of making outlandish claims about PDP’s thugs focusing attacks on its assets during the last protests, for instance, it should instead apologise to the people of Zamfara for its 16 years of poor governance.
It is certainly shameful for those who actively worked to create an army of thugs in Zamfara to turn around and cry blue murder. It is said that the evil that men do, now lives with them. I think it will help the good people of Zamfara to heal if APC would always reflect on its role in manufacturing all the problems of Zamfara state before issuing another public, sensibility-insulting statement.
Isa Murtala, PhD, writes from Abuja
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Sky Daily
