Matawalle rules out defection, says ‘Yari, Marafa not my match’

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has punctured the reports that he was on the verge of joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) to actualise his second term.

Matawalle, who became the governor of the state following the Supreme Court judgement on the tussle that trailed the governorship primaries of the APC in Zamfara, said he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

There have been reports that Matawalle was considering defection to the APC. A former governor of the state, Ahmed Sani Yarima, had last year said arrangements were on for Matawalle to join the APC.

But in an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, Matawalle said he was not considering cross-carpeting to any party at the moment.

He emphasised that his preoccupation at the moment was to ensure lasting peace and development in the state.

“My problem is that of security for Zamfara at the moment. Those pushing that are doing it out of their selfish interests because as a governor who is fighting banditry and other challenges, I should not engage myself in the issue of politicking.

“For now, it is for me to concentrate on good governance and how to secure the lives of my people. For me, I don’t bring up the issue of politics for now; I am focusing on this insecurity. I have to see what I can achieve,” he said.

Asked if he was not politically unsettled over the recent reconciliation by two opposing factions of the APC in Zamfara, Matawalle said the reconciliation will not affect him anywhere.

Daily Trust reports that after two years of bickering, the two factions of APC – the camp of former governor, Abdulaziz Yari and that of Senator Kabiru Marafa – have reconciled.

Matawalle said: “You know my nickname is ‘dodo’, and ‘dodo’ (monster) is feared. They cannot match me. As I said, this is about the game of politics. When the time comes we will cast the die and you will see the outcome,” he said.

He said none of the two top politicians who recently reunited has as much political experience as he does.