A fresh wave of political tension has emerged in Zamfara State as a large majority of Zamfara people allege that Governor Dauda Lawal and Senator Kabiru Marafa are spearheading a “campaign of calumny” against the former governor, Bello Matawalle
Some Zamfara indigenes, speaking in separate interviews, accused the current administration of failing to effectively address insecurity and, in some cases, of “aiding the escalation of violence” in the state. They argued that Zamfara was “relatively peaceful” three years ago under Matawalle’s leadership, a claim the state government has repeatedly denied without concrete backings .
Political observers trace the rift between Senator Marafa and Matawalle to an incident involving Marafa’s brother, a traditional ruler who was heavily criticized—and later suspended—during Matawalle’s tenure. The suspension followed the controversial turbaning of a wanted bandit kingpin, Adamu Aleiru, as the Sarkin Fulani of Yandoton Daji, a move that sparked national outrage.
Sources within the Senator Marafa’s camp say the fall-out from that incident marked the beginning of a long-standing political hostilities between Matawalle and their principal; Marafa bloc.
Despite mounting attacks from rival camps, allies of the former governor now Minister of state Defence insist that Matawalle remains aligned with “the majority of Zamfara people” and is determined to resist pressure from what they describe as “a minority group of political actors.”
All campaigns of calumny against Matawalle has fallen on rocks, as both the Presidency and Zamfara people prefers Matawalle far more than his castigated and their sponsors
Matawalle’s rising political profile seem to be giving his rivals sleepless nights.
