Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, on Tuesday, formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after months of speculation and denial.
Mr Matawalle announced his defection late evening at the Gusau Trade Fair Complex at an event attended by APC governors, ministers and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
Speaking at a rally, Matawalle said that he had been nursing the ambition of leaving his party PDP for several reasons.
“I am now the leader of APC in Zamfara state and I am ready to work with each and everyone wishing to contribute to the rapid development of the state”.
The National Caretaker Committee Chairman of APC and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni congratulates Matawalle for defecting to the party.
Matawalle said based on the provision of the APC, Governor Bello Matawalle was now the leader of APC in Zamfara state
He also announced that the state caretaker committee has been dissolved.
“I also want to bring to your notice that as from today, the APC Caretaker committees of Zamfara state from the ward to the state level have been dissolved”.
Also speaking at the occasion, the former Governor of the state, Abdul Aziz Yari welcomed Governor Bello Matawalle to APC, adding that, he was ready to give all necessary support and cooperation for Matawalle to succeed.
“I want to bring to the notice of each and everyone in Zamfara state that, I am not in any way against the defection of Governor Matawalle to our great party”.
“I was a Governor for two terms as such, I thank the Almighty Allah for giving the chance to lead my people for eight years”.
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The rally was attended by Governors of Kogi, Niger, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Borno, Ogun, Jigawa, Plateau, and Kebbi State, Secretary to the Government of Federation Boss Mustapha and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, and others.
However, sources said the state’s deputy governor, Mahdi Aliyu, and the member representing Talata Mafara/Anka in the State House of Assembly, Kabiru Yahaya, have decided to remain in the opposition People Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr Aliyu was reported to have left the state on Tuesday before the defection ceremony.
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Some federal lawmakers from the state who are also members of the PDP had earlier announced their defection to the APC but it is not yet clear whether all the lawmakers joined the governor to the APC.
Matawalle’s long walk to APC
Mr Matawalle’s departure from the PDP followed months of speculation and snubbing the PDP governor’s meetings while hosting APC governors and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, at Government House in Gusau.
Newsflash Nigeria reported how Mr Matawalle on June 12 dissolved the state executive council as part of preparations for his defection.
The governor, however, rescheduled the defection date, ostensibly for further consultation with Mr Aliyu and some state lawmakers who were reluctant to make the journey to the ruling party with him.
Mr Aliyu, who is a son of a former Minister of Defence, Ali Gusau, was said to be opposed to moving into the APC, arguing that the court awarded the electoral victory in 2019 to the PDP and not just its candidates.
With Mr Matawalle’s defection, APC now controls six of the seven states in the North-west geopolitical zone. Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal remains the only governor of the PDP in the zone.
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Mr Matawalle was declared governor on May 24, 2019 after the Supreme Court disqualified all the APC candidates in the state in the general election of that year over the failure of the party to conduct valid primaries.
The apex court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to cancel the votes secured by the APC in all the elections and decide the new winners from the remaining valid votes.
APC had swept the poll in the state by winning the presidential, governorship and all the federal and state legislative seats while PDP candidates trailed in the second position.
