The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Concerned Youth Movement has said that its attention has been drawn to a press statement by the House of Representatives member representing Birnin Magaji/Kaura Namoda Federal Constituency of the state, Aminu Sani Jaji, attempting to deny his involvement in the alleged renting of the youths and children from Niger State who protested at the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja calling for the reopening of investigation on the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, over the contracts he awarded as the governor of Zamfara State between 2019 to 2023.
According to a statement by the chairman of Zamfara APC Concerned Youth Movement, Abubakar Ibrahim Gusau, and made available to journalists in Abuja, he alleged that one of the hired protesters, Abdulaziz Yakubu, told journalists at EFCC that they were recruited at Suleja, Niger State, where they sell kolanuts and brought to Abuja and given placards most of them could not read and unaware it was a protest against the Minister of Defence for State, Dr Bello Matawalle, in a matter they knew nothing about and regretted their participation.
He also alleged in his statement that Hon. Jaji failed to exonerate himself and Zamfara State governor, Dauda Lawal, from media reports of their involvement, as he cast aspersions on Matawalle their main opponent in Zamfara politics.
“Aminu Jaji who ought to be in the National Assembly making laws for good governance that will provide dividends of democracy to the suffering masses, laboured in vain claiming that he knew nothing about the protest at the same time denigrated Bello Matawalle which covered the entire statement he issued.
“Jaji’s politics of bitterness and fear of the rising profile of Matawalle who worked so hard for the victory of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election as governor of Zamfara State, leaves nobody in doubt that he might have a hand in it in collusion with Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State. To both of them, the fear of Matawalle is the beginning of political wisdom, thus, pulling him down is their pastime and only political survival strategy,” he said.
According to Gusau all lovers of democracy and good governance acknowledged Matawalle as a resourceful, vibrant, visionary, and purposeful democrat with a milk of human kindness, which he generously dispenses to the masses to uplift their standards of living.
“Matawalle is the people’s leader, a politician’s politician and an embodiment of patriotism. No amount of blackmail or falsehood will distract him in his onerous task of restoring security, peace, and unity in the country as the Minister of Defence for State. He remains our indisputable leader in the quest for security and development of Zamfara State.
“It is all about 2027 elections and the fear of Matawalle, a grassroots politician and mobilizer, and the plot to put him out of circulation that will jeopardise APC’s chance of reclaiming Zamfara State and reelection of President Bola Tinubu.
“While Tinubu and Matawalle are working assiduously for a better and greater Nigeria, their political opponents dissipate energy on far off 2027 polls,” he added.
