Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has confirmed the death of two persons at the close of the Bakura state House of Assembly bye-election campaigns by the APC and PDP in Bakura on Thursday.
The governor made this known at a press briefing he held at his private residence in Gusau on Thursday.
He said, “Sani Mohammed and one other person were killed in cold blood by irate youth and this does not say good in our political dispensation.
“Since the beginning of these campaigns, l have tried to stay away because even though l have a candidate contesting under my party, as the Chief Security Officer of the state, I had to maintain a neutral stand.
“It is when l realized that the area was tensed that l came out to ensure the safety of lives and property of the citizens, only to come and see that the two persons were killed while several others were wounded and hospitalized,” he lamented.
He explained that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was given the same day, Thursday, to close its campaign rally as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“I asked the Commissioner of Police why the police fixed the same day, and he said he thought since we would use different venues, there would be no problem,” he said.
He said several houses, cars and other property were either destroyed or burnt warning that the opposition APC in the state must take responsibility as “the leader of the APC and former governor, Abdulaziz Yari has mobilized the Minister of Police Affairs along with some APC members from other places to come and cause problem for us.
“If Yari feels he is still strong and relevant in Zamfara, he should not have invited APC governors and some federal government officials to come and intimidate our people.
“To test his popularity, l challenge him to stay away from Bakura and me too, l will stay away, let the people vote for the candidate of their choice, l can assure you that l will defeat him hands down,” Matawalle said.
Zamfara is one of the states where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) scheduled to hold bye-election on December 5, having lost its state House of Assembly member representing Bakura LGA, Alhaji Tukur Jekada (PDP) who died after a protracted illness.
The 10 wards state assembly constituency had been tense especially between members of the two strong parties of APC and PDP as the APC currently had no political seat at all levels from the state having lost all the seats at the Supreme Court as the fallout of the 2019 general elections.
