Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has accused the present governor of the state, Dauda Lawal, of sponsoring lies against him.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa, the former Zamfara governor, while reacting to corruption allegations levelled against him by the Zamfara State government, said the challenges in the State did not begin with his administration.
Matawalle served as governor of Zamfara State from 2019 to 2023. He lost his re-election bid to Dauda Lawal, governor of the State, who was candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recently, the Zamfara State government accused Matawalle of embezzling billions of naira from the state cargo airport project, alleging that the former governor directed the ministry of local government to withdraw N1 billion from the local government joint account on October 25, 2021, and to pay N825 million to the contractors without any valuation.
The State government also alleged that Matawalle approved 100% payment of over one billion naira for fencing, landscaping, and furnishing of governor’s lodges in 14 LGAs. The former governor was also accused of other forms of financial recklessness.
Matawalle, however, claimed that the allegations are designed to initiate his removal as minister. He accused Lawal of destroying his legacies in order to humiliate him as a governor, who he said did not work for the people of the State.
According to the former governor, Lawal loathes the fact that he was appointed minister by President Bola Tinubu.
