From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau
The fragile peace within the Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has effectively collapsed, as preparations for upcoming party congresses have hit a brick wall as a high-stakes power struggle between the state’s political titans threatens to dismantle the party’s structure ahead of 2027.
In a leaked audio that has sent shockwaves through the state, the Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, broke his silence to allege a massive conspiracy to sideline him from the party he once led as Governor.
At the heart of the crisis is an alleged alliance between the recently defected Governor Dauda Lawal and former Governor Senator Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar.
According to sources and Matawalle’s own testimony, the duo has reportedly bypassed other stakeholders to carve up key leadership positions within the APC and the state government.
This “sharing formula” is intended to solidify their control through the 2027 election cycle.
“They sat and shared all key positions without even contacting me… I am warning Governor Lawal to be very careful”, Matawalle said.
Matawalle, who previously collapsed his own structures to support Lawal following the Vice President’s intervention, expressed deep regret over the current state of affairs.
Despite his status as a former Governor and sitting Minister, he claims to have been completely shut out of party decision-making.
Matawalle noted that while he carried everyone along during his tenure to avoid “fueling grudges,” he is now being treated as an outsider.
He alleged that Senator Yari is secretly sponsoring Mukhtar Shehu (Koguna) for the 2027 governorship, a move he claims mirrors the “underground projects” that caused the APC to lose Zamfara in 2019.
Notably, the revival of these factional “buried hatchets” has placed the APC on a dangerous trajectory.
Matawalle hinted that while he has urged his followers across the 14 Local Government Areas to remain patient, his influence remains a potent threat to the Lawal-Yari alliance.
