Matawalle Accuses Zamfara Governor of Spreading Lies to Oust Him as Minister

Former Zamfara governor and current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has vehemently responded to allegations of corruption brought forth by the incumbent governor of Zamfara, Dauda Lawal. Matawalle, who served as governor from 2019 to 2023, lost his re-election bid to Lawal, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Zamfara government recently accused Matawalle of misappropriating billions of naira earmarked for the state’s cargo airport project. According to the state government, the former governor directed the Ministry of Local Government to withdraw N1 billion from the local government joint account on October 25, 2021, and paid N825 million to contractors without proper valuation. Furthermore, they alleged that Matawalle approved a 100% payment of over one billion naira for fencing, landscaping, and furnishing of governor’s lodges in 14 local government areas, alongside other financial irregularities.

In an interview with DCL Hausa, Matawalle responded to these accusations, claiming that Governor Lawal was behind a campaign of falsehoods intended to secure his removal as a minister. Matawalle argued that the challenges facing the state predated his administration and accused Lawal of undermining his legacy to portray him as an ineffective governor.

Matawalle explained, “On the issue of the airport road, after Dauda became governor, he deceived the people by saying he was going to repair the airport road, only for him to take a bulldozer there and scrap the road we already constructed. He did that to humiliate me and to say Matawalle did not work in the state. He did the same thing with Ruga. We did everything, and invested money but he destroyed the Ruga.”

The former governor went on to allege that Governor Lawal has damaged infrastructure projects in the state to further his false narrative against him. He also expressed frustration with Lawal’s handling of state education, claiming to possess documents that contradict the governor’s statements.

Matawalle concluded by suggesting that Lawal’s actions are motivated by personal animosity, asserting that Lawal resents the fact that he was appointed as a minister by President Bola Tinubu.