Former National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has urged Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal to halt petty politics and focus on governance, particularly addressing the state’s security challenges.

This call comes after Lawal’s repeated allegations against the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, claiming his ties with bandits.

In a statement on Friday, Dr. Shinkafi emphasized that Matawalle had publicly sworn on the Quran, denying any links with bandits.
He noted that Matawalle’s efforts as Minister of State for Defence have yielded significant successes in combating banditry in the North West region, including the neutralization of notorious bandit kingpins Kachalla Halilu Sububu and Wala Baburki.

Shinkafi, who also serves as the Executive Director of Patriots for Peace and Social Development, described Lawal’s allegations against Matawalle as petty politics aimed at distracting from his own governance issues.
He urged Lawal to desist from spreading falsehoods and focus on governance, warning that such actions could undermine the fight against insecurity.

He said, “It has become necessary to set the record straight to ensure that the public is not misled. A man of exceptional integrity, Matawalle publicly swore on the Holy Quran that he had no link with bandits.
“Attacking Matawalle will not bring the fruits of democracy to Zamfara State citizens. No amount of character assassination will distract him from his duties as Minister of State for Defence.

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“There must be an end to malice and mischief in politics. The people of Zamfara State desire and deserve the dividends of democracy, not carnage and propaganda.”