Matawalle’s Defection will Strengthen Niger, Zamfara Ties, Says Bello

By Laleye Dipo

The Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has observed that Tuesday’s defection of his colleague in Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) will strengthen ties between the two states especially in the area of security.

The two states share a border and in recent time have been battling with insecurity caused by the activities of bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers.

However, Governor Bello, in reacting to the move to the APC by Matawalle, said the two states will now collaborate to fight banditry and kidnapping to a stand still.

The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel Berje, in Minna Wednesday, also described the joining of the APC by the Zamfara governor as ” a welcome development”.

According to the statement, Matawalle’s decision to join the APC “is a testimony that APC is waxing stronger and will coast to victory in the next general election”.

Bello therefore advised the Zamfara governor to work towards bringing everyone in his former party into the APC, adding that: “You should carry everybody along to avoid crisis.”

At a well attended reception in Gusau, Matawalle and some former PDP stalwarts defected to the APC attributing their action to alleged “lack of internal democracy” in their former party.

The PDP national leadership has however decided to challenge the action of the Zamfara State governor in the law court.