A political support group affiliated with Zamfara APC Unity Forum (ZAUF), has praised former Zamfara State governor and current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, for distributing over N500 million in cash aid to residents of the state during the holy month of Ramadan.
According to the Forum, more than 5,000 individuals benefitted from the initiative, each receiving not less than N100,000. It said Matawalle has also spent over N200m on providing rice to feeding centres across 14 local government areas in Zamfara State.
The minister has also given over N300 million to APC officials and stakeholders, including his former commissioners, special advisers, and other stakeholders.
The group stated that the beneficiaries were carefully selected by a team led by Ibrahim Maigandi (Danmalikin Gidan Goga), who is Matawalle’s special adviser on political matters.
“This team comprises party leaders, technocrats, academics, and youth leaders who ensured a fair distribution of the funds across Zamfara’s local government areas,” said Ismael Jibrin, the chairman of the support group in Gusau.
The group also criticised Zamfara State governor Dauda Lawal, accusing him of failing to provide relief for struggling residents.
“Despite not being in office as governor anymore, Matawalle continues to listen to the cries of the people and ensure that Zamfara citizens do not go to bed hungry,” Jibrin said.
“This is what we call true leadership, not mere media appearances like Governor Dauda.”
Matawalle’s Ramadan disbursement follows a similar intervention last December, when he reportedly distributed more than 1 billion naira to party loyalists, community leaders, and residents. That event, according to the Zamfara APC Unity forum, brought the state “to a standstill in awe of his generosity.”
Matawalle, who served as governor from 2019 to 2023 before losing to Lawal in last year’s election, remains a key political figure in Zamfara. His supporters describe him as a “beacon of hope” for the state’s residents in difficult times.
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