PDP, APC trade words in Zamfara after Tinubu sends Matawalle to Kebbi

The Zamfara state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party has described the directive given to the Minister of Defence, State, Bello Matawalle by President Bola Tinubu to relocate to kebbi as a sign of failure on the part of APC-led Federal government to bring an end to security challenges affecting the country.

In a statement released on Saturday, the PDP Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Haliru Andi said, the state chapter under the leadership of Jamil Jibo expressed deep outrage over Tinubu’s directive asking Matawalle to rush to Kebbi state following the abduction 25 students of GGSS Maga.

Andi described the directive by President Tinubu as  nothing but an empty drama designed to mislead Nigerians.

According to Andi, Matawalle lacks the capacity to address the security challenge.

He said, “Even today, attacks persist in his own hometown, proving he lacks the competence and credibility to handle national security issues.

“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 killings and kidnappings across the country all expose the ruling party’s lack of strategy, capacity, and sincerity”.

“Nigeria needs serious leadership, not political theatrics. As such, the APC must stop playing with the lives of citizens,” Andi concluded.

However reacting, the state’s APC Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris, described Andi’s claims “as shear madness and an attempt to undermine the national security.”

Idris expressed disgust that instead of the state chapter of the PDP and the government to send a sympathy message to the people and Kebbi state government over the unfortunate incident they resorted to sabotaging the Federal Government through unpatriotic statement which could be termed as felony.

He said the state’s PDP chapter was trying to undermine the national security plans to rescue the kidnapped 24 students of Government Comprehensive Secondary School Maga in Kebbi State.

He commended Tinubu, who was about to travel outside the country for an important engagement, but had to cancel the trip following the abduction of GGSS Maga students.

Idris stressed that this was the first time in the country where the president cancelled his foreign trip because of the kidnapping of students.

He said, “Kidnapping students in Nigeria started since during President Jonathan where female students of chibok were abducted, followed by Dapchi.”

“And even during late President Muhammadu Buhari students of GSS Jangebe, GSS Kankara, Katsina State and Federal Collage Birnin Yauri in Kebbi but non of the former Presidents cancelled his engagement and concentrated on how to rescue the abducted school children except President Bola Ahmed who considers every citizen’s live very important”.

He said it was widely publicised that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was billed to travel to South Africa to attend a G20 summit, abd following the news of the sad incident of the abduction in Maga, he cancelled the foreign trip and directed Matawalle to move to Birnin Kebbi and coordinate rescue of the abducted school children.

“But instead of the Zamfara dissolved PDP and the government to send a sympathy message to the people and Kebbi state government over the unfortunate incident, they resorted to sabotaging the federal government through unpatriotic release which can be termed as felony”.

Idris said it was a well-known fact that Matawalle made several efforts to destabilise the bandits and deciminate their activities when he was governor.

According to him, the PDP government, has nothing in its defence over why banditry has continued in Zamfara state as they controlled the state and Dauda is the chief Security officer but very disturbingly, the governor has abandoned the people of the state.

He maintained that there was no justification to keep confronting the federal government and the minister without proffering a solution to the problem.

Idris stated that when Matawalle was the governor of the state he used to visit or send delegations to sympathise with victims of bandits attacks and also give them assistance while governor Lawal would be far away and won’t sent even good words to calm the bereaved.

He stressed that the state’s chapter of the PDP has made several attempts to make President Tinubu sack Matawalle but failed.

“So when the PDP said they are not happy to see the President directing Matawalle to go and ensure the rescue of the 24 school girls recently kidnapped from Kebbi state, one will wonder what the PDP actually wants,”Idris stated.