Zamfara PDP and APC clash over Matawalle Kebbi deployment following student abductions, trading political accusations and security criticisms
Katsina, Nigeria – The Zamfara State chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress clashed on Sunday over President Bola Tinubu’s directive for Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi State following the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Government Girls Secondary School, Maga.
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The PDP described the directive as evidence of the APC-led Federal Government’s failure to tackle insecurity, while the APC accused the opposition of attempting to sabotage national security efforts.
In a statement, PDP Publicity Secretary Alhaji Haliru Andi said the state chapter, under Dr Jamil Jibo, was “deeply outraged” by Matawalle’s reassignment, describing it as “nothing but another empty drama designed to mislead Nigerians.”
He added that the minister had “never achieved success in any security assignment, whether as governor or minister,” highlighting ongoing attacks in his own hometown as proof of incompetence.
“The APC government has completely failed Nigeria. The recent brutal attack on a church in Kwara, the abduction of students in Kebbi, the killing of General Uba in Borno, and countless other killings and kidnappings across the country all expose the ruling party’s lack of strategy, capacity, and sincerity,” Andi said.
The APC, through state Publicity Secretary Alhaji Yusuf Idris, dismissed the PDP’s criticism as “sheer madness” and an attempt to undermine national security.
Idris commended President Tinubu for cancelling a planned foreign trip to coordinate the rescue operations in Kebbi, noting that no previous Nigerian president had taken similar action during past student kidnappings, including Chibok, Dapchi, and GSS Jangebe.
“Matawalle has previously made several efforts to destabilise and decimate bandits’ activities as governor, whereas the PDP-led government in Zamfara has failed to offer solutions despite controlling the state,” Idris added.
He contrasted Matawalle’s proactive involvement with the perceived inaction of Governor Dauda Lawal, who “stays far away and does not even send words of comfort” to victims.
Idris questioned the PDP’s stance, asking, “So when the PDP says it is unhappy that the President directed Matawalle to go and ensure the rescue of the 24 schoolgirls kidnapped in Kebbi, one wonders what exactly the PDP wants.”
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The spat between the parties underscores the political tensions surrounding security management in northern Nigeria, as the federal government continues efforts to stabilise communities affected by banditry and kidnappings.
