GOVERNOR Bello Matawalle has blamed his failure to win re-election as Zamfara State Governor on his opposition to President Muhammadu Buhari government’s naira swap policy.
Matawalle said this during an interview with DW Hausa which was monitored and reported by Hobnob News on Tuesday, while reacting to his defeat in the governorship election which was held on March 18, 2023.
Mr Matawalle, who sought reelection under the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, lost to the candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Dauda Lawal.
In response to the election results, the governor expressed concern about a large deployment of military personnel on Election Day.
Matawalle claimed that the military deployed many soldiers for the poll in Zamfara, something they had never done to curb insecurity in the state despite repeated requests by his government to Buhari’s administration.
He said, “I warned my people against rigging in my favour. I wanted to be voted genuinely and allow the people’s will to be respected.
“But the kind of soldiers that were deployed for this election were alarming. We have never had this kind of military presence in the state. On seeing that, I knew that there was a hidden agenda, and that was why I didn’t even bother. I got an intelligence report of plans to punish me, (Kaduna Governor, Nasir) El-Rufai, and (Kano Governor Abdullahi) Ganduje.
“Our offence was challenging the naira policy of the federal government at the Supreme Court.”
“We have been having security challenges in the state and have been crying for help, but nobody has answered us. But a few days before the election, over 300 military trucks were sent to the state,” the governor added.
Despite losing the election, the governor said he was satisfied with his performance in office in the last four years.
He also noted that he was not interested in challenging the 2023 election outcome.
He continued: “The election has been concluded, and everyone saw what happened in Zamfara, but as a Muslim, I can only give gratitude to God for the outcome.
“When God gave me the power, a lot of people never thought I would become the governor of the state, and God gave it to me.
“And if he chooses to take it back, I can’t question him. God has destined that I will serve one term, and I am fulfilled with that.
“I’m not bothered at all about losing the election. If you recall, sometime last year, I lamented to you about the security situation in Zamfara State and told you I was weary of being the governor. As a leader, it’s not good to see your people being killed or kidnapped on a daily basis.
“After my time on earth, I will give accounts of these incidents to my Creator, and they bother me every single day.”
“So, for a very long time, I got fed up with the power due to what was happening in the state. I tried my best to address the security situation, but it was beyond my powers; only God can end it,” he added.
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