Tuesday 28th December 2021: Loyalists of the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Mahadi Ali-Gusau, have accused the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) of masterminding an attack on the venue of their state congress Monday morning.

Reports claim that thugs invaded the venue of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) congress at Samaru in Gusau, the Zamfara capital. The thugs destroyed some facilities meant for the conduct of the congress.

It took the intervention of security personnel before the thugs left the venue and the congress moved to another venue where it was held.

In a statement immediately after the congress, Aminu Gyangyam, the principal private secretary to the deputy governor, said the APC in the state is afraid of the PDP.

He also said the ruling party in the state and Governor Bello Matawalle have been acting ‘very childish’ against the major opposition party.

“They fear the PDP, and they believed the best way to show their fear is to make sure that they frustrated our state congresses, and you have seen for yourself delegates are more than determined to ensure that the state congresses took place and the party leaders emerged.

“Governor Matawalle should know that this party brought him to power, and this should not be the type of reward he should pay the party with.”

Mr Gyangyam said the party held its congress successfully and the countdown to the ‘dislodgement’ of APC in the state has begun.

Responding to the allegation that the attack was orchestrated by the ruling APC, the immediate former spokesperson to Governor Matawalle, who is also the state publicity secretary of the APC, Yusuf Idris, said what happened was an internal affair.

According to him, PDP has a record of internal crises.

“They are the architect of their problem. We heard that some powerful persons are planning to enforce candidates on them, especially Col. Bala Mande and Shatiman Rijiya as Chairman and Secretary and some people within the party are pushing for some alternative candidates, so they might be the ones to instigate the crises within their party.

Invaded venue of PDP congress

“The governor as the chief security officer of the state, issued them clearance to go ahead and conduct their congresses. So, how would he allow his party supporters to go and distract what he has approved. It does not make any sense at all,” Mr Idris said.

In an official statement, the APC spokesman said the state government would not tolerate any security breach in the state.

“It is on record that in 2003 the same scenario happened when their anointed party chairman contested the gubernatorial seat under same platform alongside other contestants. During the party congress, they went on rampage, hitting innocent citizens with dangerous weapons where many were hospitalised.

Invaded venue of PDP congress

“The same scenario happened during the PDP congress in 2010 between late Barr Adamu Umar of Blessed Memory and Alhaji Namadi Ango where the congress ended up in serious crises and division,” the spokesperson said.

Governor Matawalle was elected governor on the PDP platform in 2019 after the Supreme Court disqualified the APC from the elections.

He, however, defected to the APC earlier this year. His deputy refused to defect with his principal, preferring to remain in the PDP.