Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara said on Tuesday in Gusau that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) posed no threat to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The governor also said that the PDP posed no threat to him as governor.
In a statement issued by one of his aides, Matawalle said the new leadership of the PDP at the national level should do its homework and find out how he made it to place second at the 2019 elections.
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The aide who issued the statement is Malam Zailani Bappah, the governor’s Special Adviser on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communication.
The governor noted that the PDP’s national secretariat issued a press statement on Monday in which it made stunning accusations against the APC in Zamfara and particularly against his administration.
The PDP accused the governor and the APC in the state of deliberate attempt to frustrate the PDP ahead of the 2023 elections by denying it the opportunity to own an office accommodation in Gusau.
“The PDP also cautioned Gov. Matawalle to stay off its neck.
“It added that it had instructed its lawyers to take up the matter just as it drew the attention of rights organisations to what it described as the governor’s reprehensible action.
“Against this background, we find these allegations as spurious and a total disrespect to Matawalle, who midwifed, nursed and nurtured the nearly obliterated PDP in Zamfara and sailed it to power in 2019.
“The PDP must be reminded to the fact that it neither poses a threat to the APC as a party in Zamfara nor to Dr Matawalle himself.
“Though we sympathise with the PDP since the exit of Dr Matawalle, his exit from the party or its attendant problems in the state are no ground to make wild allegations against the governor.
“It is important that the PDP sorts out its tenancy problems without dragging the name of Zamfara government into it just to attract public sympathy,’’ he stated.
According to him, if the PDP believes its allegations are true and it is preparing to go to court, then its media allegation against the government is a needless distraction.
He added that it was also a mischievous attempt to smear the name of the governor and his administration.
“It must be put on record that the support enjoyed by the APC in Zamfara is not in doubt which was proven in 2011 when it routed the PDP out of office.
“Today, the APC is even more rooted in the hearts of Zamfara electorate with the entry of Dr Matawalle into its fold.
“It is instructive, therefore, that Dr Matawalle cannot descend so low as to smash an ant with a sledge hammer or even flog an already dead horse,’’ he stressed. (NAN)