The Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development (PAPSD) said it is on notice of some faceless groups calling for a state of emergency in Zamfara State sponsored by desperate politicians who lost elections and want to seize power unconstitutionally to loot the treasury and impoverish the people.
In a statement in Abuja, the executive director of PAPSD, Alhaji Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, said the group is aware of their antics as expired politicians and urged President Bola Tinubu and all lovers of democracy to ignore them as they wallow in their delusions of grandeur.
He said the agenda of these agents’ provocateurs is to distract Governor Dauda Lawal from his widely acclaimed Rescue Mission and destabilise the state as it was before he assumed office on 29th May 2023.
“Blinded by parochial interests, these reactionary forces demonstrate ignorance of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, regarding the strict conditions on the removal of a duly elected governor and state legislator vis-a-vis the president’s power to declare a state of emergency in any part of the country. The appointment of a sole administrator is an aberration and undemocratic.
“Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, states the process for the removal of a governor, or deputy governor from office, while Section 305 of the Constitution provides the procedure for declaration of a state of emergency. Certainly, Zamfara State does not fall under any of these clear provisions of the nation’s Constitution in removing the governor or declaring a state of emergency there. It is imprudent to overheat the polity and cause political upheaval,” it said.
It noted that Nigeria is governed by the rule of law, not might, adding that there is no place for dictatorship, autocracy, and despotism in a constitutional democracy. “President Tinubu is a democrat and swore to uphold the Constitution and will certainly not yield to political jobbers clamouring for a state of emergency in any state the people had rejected them in the polls,” it added.
Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development urged politicians in Zamfara State to play by the rules, uphold democratic values, ideals and ethics, and eschew politics of bitterness which impede the gains of our hard-earned democracy.
“President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, our gallant soldiers, other security services and supported by Gov Dauda Lawal have fought armed banditry in the state head-on, which has significantly improved security, public safety and order in Zamfara State.
“The improved security paved the way for vigorous economic activities, social services, and infrastructural development all combined to provide crucial dividends of democracy to citizens, including payment of the ₦70,000.00 national minimum wage to civil servants and promise to address the grey areas in the implementation of the national minimum wage to senior civil servants.
“If the intention of the groups and their sponsors is to distract Gov Lawal, they have failed woefully as he is a man of indefatigable endeavour with exceptional political sagacity, leadership acumen and tenacity of purpose to provide fruits of democracy to citizens to alleviate their sufferings as laid out in his rescue mission,” it said.
Furthermore, the group said the governor has done very well in terms of infrastructural development in all sectors, rehabilitated all the general hospitals across the state, commenced construction of investment houses initiated by the Mamuda Aliyu administration, also completed abandoned projects by previous administrations, effectively executing the Gusau International Cargo Airport project, Shinkafi referral hospital, Zamfara State University, Gusau regional development roads dualisation, township roads and has constructed over 400 primary schools in less than two years in office. It was also noted that he commenced the beautification of the state capital, Gusau, to compete with other state capitals in Nigeria and attract tourists and foreign investors.
“This is democracy at its finest. Zamfara people have not had it so good since it was created from Sokoto State on 1st October 1996 and stand firmly with their performing governor,” it said.
