APC accuses PDP of sponsoring banditry in Zamfara, rejects call for Matawalle’s resignation

The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Zamfara State on Tuesday rejected the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demand for Governor Bello Matawalle’s resignation over the growing insecurity in the state.

The PDP had on Monday asked the governor to step down over his inability to check the frequent killing and kidnapping in Zamfara.

The party also blasted Matawalle for travelling to Niger Republic for a wrestling festival during one of the most critical periods in the state’s history.

The APC Publicity Secretary in Zamfara, Alhaji Yusuf Idris, who reacted to the PDP’s remark in a chat with journalists at the party’s secretariat in Gusau, claimed the opposition party was behind banditry in the state.

to resign, saying that the opposition party was behind banditry in the state.

READ ALSO: Zamfara PDP demands Governor Matawalle’s resignation

He said the mining activity cited by many as a major reason for banditry in Zamfara was controlled by the majority of the PDP stalwarts in the state including the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Aliyu Gusau.

Idris said: “Gen. Aliyu Gusau, who is the biological father of Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, the current PDP leader in the state, controlled over 70 percent of the mining licenses before they were revoked by the Federal Government.

“One will be left with no option but to believe that, Aliyu Gusau and other PDP stalwarts were behind banditry in Zamfara because their mining sites were never attacked by bandits.

“Similarly, he (Aliyu Gusau) and other PDP members have never come to the state to sympathise with the government and people of the state whenever there was bandits attack.

“The reason why the PDP is not happy with the feat being attained by the Governor and the APC in addressing insecurity in the state is because they are the ones behind the criminals, thus fighting bandits is like fighting the PDP in the state.

“After many open and nocturnal attempts by the PDP in the state to reverse the defection of Governor Matawalle from their party have failed, they now resorted to placing the governor in a bad light on the issue of security.

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