The Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, said he defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to strengthen political unity in his state.
The governor’s media aide, Yusuf Idris, who disclosed this in a statement, also debunked media reports that the governor was forced to join the APC to stop killings in the state.
“It is a known fact that Governor Matawalle is one of the leaders in the country that speaks wisdom on all matters and he joined the APC in order to strengthen political unity in the state for the purpose of bringing more development to his people,” Mr Idris said
According to the spokesman, the defection was also due to “the upper hands he (the governor) had been enjoying from President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC high command on all matters concerning the state.”
President Buhari and the APC governors, according to him, had been sympathetic to the people of the state in trying times, adding that these encouraged the governor to reciprocate the concern and respect given.
“The governor’s mission for joining the ruling party was nothing more than that. Any other report is mischievous and the handiwork of those diversionary characters that have remained vehemently opposed to the defection to APC by Governor Matawalle.”
Mr Matawalle joined APC last week with all the federal and state lawmakers in Zamfara except his Deputy, Mahdi Aliyu, and a state lawmaker, Kabiru Yahaya, who opted to remain in the People’s Democratic Party.
