The True Beneficiaries Of Zamfara Elite Consensus

By Suleman Ahmad Tudu

There is a popular African proverb that says “when the elephants fight, the grass will suffer!” This poignant adage captures a brutal truth: the weak become victims when the powerful are at loggerheads.

To put this in the context of Zamfara, the people of the state (the grass) have suffered enough from the political feuds among our key political actors (the elephants). Their years of political rivalry have turned the critical aspect of governance in the state into a zero-sum game where one party’s failure becomes another’s gain, while the masses pay the price.

However, it seems that era has just ended. The wise decision of Governor Dauda Lawal to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has brought the state’s key political figures under one roof. This shift has converted years of fractured politics into a unified development agenda for the progress of Zamfara. It ends the politics of distraction, where energy was spent fighting opponents instead of solving real problems retrogressing the state.

Yes, I have noticed fair concerns about this political realignment. Some people dismiss it as merely a political maneuvering. Others argue it could amount to nothing for the ordinary people of the state. I can understand the skepticism; but nevertheless, skepticism shouldn’t go to an extent of masking us to the seemingly impossible things that unity can make possible.

There is no denying the fact that no challenge has crippled Zamfara more than banditry. Yet the fight against the menace has been disjointed due to conflicting political interests, leaving the state in a critical condition while leaders traded blame.

This consensus now eliminates that conflict of interest and creates a concerted front of strong political will against insecurity. It blends institutional memory from former governors, executive power from Governor Dauda Lawal, and the federal might through the Minister of State for Defense, Hon Bello Matawalle. They will now speak with one voice and work in unison, focusing on what to be delivered for Zamfara.

Additionally, this consensus creates opportunity for resource mobilization through the Zamfara Security Trust Fund established specifically to finance the fight against banditry in the state. I recall that in November 2024, Governor Lawal constituted a fundraising committee comprising National Assembly members and other distinguished citizens of the state in order to bankroll counter-banditry efforts.

With this realignment, that committee returns to life. All the key political actors have now agreed to contribute in cash and kind to fund the initiative, as announced by Governor Lawal at the APC stakeholders meeting held on Saturday, April 25, 2026. I gathered that Sen. Abdulaziz Yari has already made a financial commitment to procure and donate some armoured personnel carriers for the fight against criminal elements across the state.

This is the first dividend of the realignment and more will follow, Insha Allah.

Furthermore, the consensus will also enhance synergy with the federal government. Zamfara is now positioned to negotiate special interventions and more security deployments without partisan gridlock.

Another advantage of this realignment is boosting investor confidence as it increases chances for policy continuity. Capital usually flows where politics is predictable. Investors and development partners may fear that projects will stall and be abandoned after the next election, but when key players agree on a long-term agenda, it signals stability.

These are some of the reasons I believe the people of Zamfara are the true beneficiaries of this elite consensus and no one else. The only victims of this unity are the bandit-terrorists who have been capitalizing on our divisions to grow more sophisticated while indiscriminately terrorising our communities!

History will remember Governor Lawal as a unifier, a man under whose visionary stewardship, the elephants finally agreed to walk peacefully together so the grass could grow. Alhamdulillah.