The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CALSER) has accused Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State of displaying undemocratic tendencies following his defeat at the just-concluded governorship election in the State.
The Centre, at a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, said Matawalle has blamed a myriad of factors for his loss at the poll, ranging from the Naira redesign policy to most recently, the military.
In his address, Okwa Daniels, the group’s Director of Communication and Strategy, accused the governor of inciting the public in a manner that could enable anarchists to disrupt the peace of the land.
Daniels rubbished the claim by the outgoing governor that more soldiers were sent to the State for the elections than to combat banditry.
According to him, Governor Matawalle may have implied that the deployment of troops frustrated his plan to deploy the bandits on his payroll for voter intimidation
“We, therefore, found it bizarre that Matawalle is now claiming that soldiers were deployed to punish him for challenging the Naira redesign policy.
“After all, he is not the only one who challenged the policy. The governors of Kaduna, Kogi, Ondo, Ekiti, Katsina, Ogun, Cross River, Sokoto, and Lagos States were part of the suit that challenged the Naira redesign policy of the Federal Government and elections held in these states, even though only for State Assemblies in some of these states.
“Some of the governors of these States lost in the elections or their proteges lost, while some of the governors that did not challenge the Federal Government on the policy also took beatings at the polls. Matawalle should thus ask himself why he is the only one blaming the Federal Government for his defeat by a better-articulated opponent.
“We see the Governor’s outburst as a desperate move to warm himself into the heart of the president-elect, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, which is most unfortunate, because the incoming government at the centre does not deserve to be burdened by a political plague like Matawalle. It is our fervent hope that the president-elect would see beyond the charade and treat Matawalle as a person of interest when reviewing the insecurity and banditry that has troubled the North-West.
“He should be able to clarify the extent to which he empowered the criminals and explain the roles they played in propping him up in office, what portion of the state’s security votes was passed on to the criminals, their proxies in his cabinet and other information that will help extricate Nigeria from the crisis into which his indiscretion has put Nigeria in,” he stated.
CALSER, however, urged “Nigerians to note the fresh dangers constituted to the country by Matawalle and his unguarded tantrums, through which he is attempting to undermine the Nigerian military as an institution that interferes in elections when this is not true.”
It added: “It is on record that the military, particularly the army, played stabilizing roles across the country during the 2023 General Elections to the extent that it was repeatedly commended by political players across party lines all over the country.
“Also, Matawelle is knowingly fueling the misplaced discontent of the children of anger who had concluded that mere rants on social media would win them elections and who are now looking for excuses and validation to ground the country with protests in their bid to frustrate the inauguration of the next government and consequently precipitate an interim government – something that will truncate democracy.
“Even though the Department of State Services (DSS) did not mention names when it confirmed that proponents of an interim government are holding meetings to intensify their efforts, Matawalle, by making these unfounded accusations to provoke protests against government institutions, has exposed himself as one of those pursuing the formation of an interim government in the event that he cannot ingratiate himself on the president-elect.
“The Zamfara State Governor has become a loose cannon that must be immediately railed in. We CALSER hereby tell Matawalle in clear terms that he must not drag the image of the Nigerian military into his poor outings in managing the security crisis in his state, which ultimately led to his defeat.
“He practically failed to provide good governance and has been consequently rejected by his people and the masses. He should live with this outcome and correct his ways instead of seeking to do more damage by exporting his toxic politics to the national level.”
