The Zamfara state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are at odds over allegations of an attempted attack on the residence of Minister of Defence (state), Bello Mattawalle during the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest.
During a press briefing, APC Publicity Secretary Alhaji Yusuf Idris accused the state’s PDP chapter of trying to instigate their supporters to target the Minister of Defence and other APC stakeholders participating in the national protest.
Idris revealed that PDP officials allegedly sought to exploit the peaceful protest to vandalize properties belonging to key APC figures in the state but their plans were thwarted by security forces.
Expressing concern, Idris stated, “The APC in Zamfara State is troubled by the turn of events during the nationwide protest in the state.”
“We observed the strategic deployment of PDP thugs to harm, injure, and damage APC personalities and properties,” Idris added.
He highlighted an incident where PDP thugs allegedly targeted former governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle’s residence on the first day of the protest but were prevented by security personnel.
Idris mentioned that the PDP thugs also attacked the residence of APC Senator Sahabi Ya,u in Zamfara North senatorial zone, causing damage, including to a vehicle.
He concluded, “We had foreseen the potential hijack of the protest by troublemakers and miscreants in the state.”
In response, the acting PDP chairman in the state, Muktar Lugga, dismissed APC’s allegations as groundless and baseless.
Lugga emphasized, “As a peaceful and responsible government, Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration would never plan or incite violence in the state.”
He refuted the claims as unfounded and urged both parties to focus on addressing national issues rather than engaging in blame games.
He criticized the APC for making accusations and suggested waiting until the next election cycle instead of playing politics at the moment.
Lugga also advised PDP members to refrain from highlighting the alleged threat to the Defence Minister’s residence, noting it reflects poorly on the Minister’s popularity in his home state.