Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle of Zamfara State on Friday warned five governors and seven senators invited by former governor Abdulaziz Yari ahead of Saturday’s Zamfara assembly by election to stay away from the state.
Matawalle sounded the note of warning after he inspected property destroyed by thugs during a final campaign rally on Thursday.
“If ex governor Yari is a true son of his father and mother he should tell his people to stay off the Saturday’s election in the state and if he is brave enough he should face me. I will deal with him squarely,” he warned
“Yari was crying like a baby and was in IGP’s office seeking for the removal of the state commissioner of police. He got five governors, seven senators and ten federal lawmakers including the minister of police affairs to come to Zamfara and assist him win the election.
“The likes of the minister of police affairs is giving President Muhammadu Buhari a bad name and the way he succumbed to Yari’s mischief is a total embarrassment and we must register our dismay on this.
“He invited thugs that unleashed mayhem on our people killing two of them and destroying our campaign structures and many other property belonging to innocent residents of the state.
“Yari has ridiculed himself by becoming errand boy for governors and I’m warning these governors that Zamfara State is different and they should stay off our affairs and allow the constituents to elect the candidate of their choice.
“I thought he is a man enough to face me. He tried to be a trouble maker by instigating people for violence. I have never been to campaign rally myself because I want allow the electorates to choose their lawmaker. Why will he then seek for help from Abuja. He is afraid that we will expose him and make him a naked man,” Matawalle said.
However, the All Progressive Congress through its zonal vice chairman in the state Alhaji Sani Gwamna Mayanchi dismissed the allegations saying that the ruling PDP had constituted its committee, too.
He said they never attacked anyone and security operatives were witnesses.
“They constituted their committee and it include serving and former governors and ministers. He has no moral right to stop our own. In fact, he would be the one to accommodate our guests as stated by the law because the government house belongs to the state not him as an individual,” Mayanchi said