From Maiharaji Altine, Gusau
Zamfara state Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Faruku Ahmed, said, Governor Bello Matawalle was not defecting to the APC.
Faruku Ahmed who spoke to Punch on phone said, “The speculation that Matawalle is planning to dump PDP for APC is not only untrue but baseless”.
According to Ahmed, there was never a time when this issue of defecting to APC by the Governor was either officially or unofficially discussed at the party level.
“To the best of my knowledge as the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Zamfara, there was never any time the Governor officially or unofficially discussed this issue to us”.
He maintained that, he too heard the rumors making round in the state, stressing that, “There is nothing like that”.
He stated that, Governor Matawalle has even given directive that all those from the opposition parties who were given appointments by his administration as a result of an alliance should either defect to PDP or resign their appointments.
“Some of them have started resigning while others have chosen to remain in PDP. So if the Governor is planning to decamp to APC, why should he ask the APC members to join PDP or resign?
Meanwhile, there are speculatons that, Governor Matawalle is planning to dump his party the PDP and join the APC.
Rumours making the rounds both in the state and outside have indicated that, the former Governor of the state, Senator Yarima is trying to bring Governor Bello Matawalle to the APC.
According to the romour, Yarima wanted to contest for the presidential election come 2023, as such, he wants to bring Governor Matawalle to APC so that he can get more support and chance for the contest.
Others were also of the view that, Yarima wanted Governor Matawalle to join APC in order to become the party leader in the state so that, the former Governor Alhaji Abdul Aziz Yari would become politically irrelevant.
Recalled that, Yarima and Yari have been at loggerhead since 2019 when the APC lost all positions due to the problem of primary elections that were not conducted by the party.
Yarima was unable to obtain the new register in the ongoing registration and revalidation exercise being conducted by the APC due to the friction between him and Yari until when the national headquarters of the party intervened.
