My Role In Naira Swap Cost Me My Re Election Defeat – Matawale

By Ayodele Oni

Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawale, has blamed the loss of his reelection bid on his role in the struggle against Naira Swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN,)

He specifically accused the Federal Government of militarising the March 18th gubernatorial and state assembly elections in the state to punish him for challenging its new naira policy in court.

Matawalle and his counterparts from Kano and Kaduna, Abdullahi Ganduje and Nasir El Rufai had filed a suit challenging the federal government and the CBN at the Supreme Court over its new naira policy.

The three governors are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Matawalle lost his re-election bid to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dauda Lawal.

Mr Lawal polled 377,726 votes to defeat Mr Matawalle, who got 311,976 votes.

The APC candidate in Kano also lost the governorship election but the party’s candidate won in Kaduna.

In a nine minutes interview with the DW Hausa, the governor said he was warned that the election might not go his way for his actions.

He said over 300 truckload of soldiers were sent to the state in the eve of election with over 50 soldiers sent to strategic polling units to intimidate voters against voting for APC.

“We’ve security challenges in Zamfara state and we’ve been asking them to send soldiers to us but they didn’t.

“But three days to the election (gubernatorial) 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.

“And I tell you, they were over fifty soldiers in our polling units in Zamfara. They (soldiers) were even straight about it that those voting for APC would not be allowed to vote.

“People were harassed and beaten because they wanted to vote for APC. We all have this evidence on video. When we called soldiers to come to our aid, they didn’t come. But I’ve left everything to God.”

When asked if there was any reason for the militarisation of the election in the state, Mr Matawalle said he had intelligence report that the soldiers were sent to rig the election.

“When I saw that (the soldiers being sent) I knew they were up to something. That was why it didn’t bother me.

“Because I received intelligence report on what they were going to do against me. Not only myself but other governors that did something that is considered wrong.

“Yes, what’s being said is that we went to the court (Supreme Court) over new Naira notes redesign. They said myself, Ganduje and El Rufai would be punished accordingly.”

Matawalle however said he was happy that Bola Tinubu, the president elect, won the state with a landslide.