The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has donated vehicles to eight members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly who recently rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. The presentation took place in Gusau on Wednesday, with the Managing Director of the Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Corporation, Yazid Danfulani, speaking on Matawalle's behalf.
Donation Aims to Ease Movement and Support Grassroots Mobilisation
Danfulani said the donation reflected the minister's dedication to reconciliation and building unity within the party. He added that Matawalle had been actively engaging APC stakeholders to foster cooperation and cohesion across the state. According to The Punch, Danfulani stated that the vehicles were meant to ease the lawmakers' movement back to their home state and support their grassroots mobilisation efforts within their respective constituencies.
Tinubu's Role in the Return
The gesture follows a reported directive from President Bola Tinubu urging the lawmakers to return to Zamfara and commit to strengthening the party's internal structure. Matawalle, a former governor of Zamfara State who served from 2019 to 2023, was said to have personally presented the lawmakers to Tinubu after they reaffirmed their loyalty to the President and the party. Speaking on behalf of his fellow lawmakers, Aliyu Kagara thanked Matawalle for the gesture and pledged their support for Tinubu's re-election bid in 2027.
Northern Elders Commend Reconciliation Efforts
The Northern Elders of the APC Forum also commended both Tinubu and Matawalle for their roles in facilitating the lawmakers' return. The forum's chairman, Alhaji Yusuf Abubakar, described the development as a meaningful step towards resolving internal disagreements and restoring unity within the APC in Zamfara. Abubakar praised Matawalle specifically for leading reconciliation efforts, crediting him with persuading the lawmakers to return to the party fold.
However, the forum cautioned that the return of the eight lawmakers should not be seen as the conclusion of the reconciliation process. The forum urged APC leadership to continue addressing the grievances of other aggrieved members to prevent further divisions.
Matawalle lost his re-election bid in 2023 to Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party before being appointed Minister of State for Defence. He has since emerged as a key figure in the APC's efforts to consolidate its political base in Zamfara ahead of the 2027 polls.
