ZAMFARA State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has alleged that some forces within the federal government worked against his re-election bid in the just-concluded governorship election because of his action against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) naira redesign policy..
Matawalle, of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was defeated by Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recall that Matawalle, his Kaduna and Kano states counterparts, Nasir El-Rufai and Abdullahi Ganduje, respectively, had dragged the Federal Government to the Supreme Court over the scarcity of cash due to the CBN cashless policy.
In an interview with DW Hausa, on Thursday, March 30, Matawalle alleged that prior to the elections, there were plots to punish himself, Ganduje and El-Rufai over their stance on the policy, adding: “What’s being said is that we went to court over the new naira notes redesign. They said myself, Ganduje and El-Rufai would be punished accordingly.”
The governor further alleged that all polling units were flooded with soldiers to intimidate voters, noting: “Three days to the gubernatorial election, they sent over 300 vehicles conveying soldiers into Zamfara. Such a high number of soldiers.
“If they could send them to us to fight insecurity, it would be better. But they only sent them during elections.”
