Between 2019 and 2022, Zamfara has lost two former Commissioners and three serving lawmakers.
The former Commissioners are Malami Aliyu Yandoto who served as the state Commissioner for Agriculture under Yari administration before they parted away, and he moved to the people’s Democratic Party.
After the Supreme Court shifted power to the PDP in 2019, the present Governor Bello Matawalle appointed him as the Executive Chairman Zamfara State local Government Service Commissions a position he held until his demise from this world.
Memory back, he served as the Chairman of Zamfara State independent Electoral Commission during former Governor Yarima and Mamuda Shinkafi.
He died while attending an official’s function with the Governor in Sokoto last year.
LATE BELLO DANKANDE GAMJI
Bello Dankande Gamjin is another former Commissioner we have lost in Zamfara state in the year 2021.
He died as a result of brief illness at Hilal hospital, a private health facility in Gusau.
He served as the former sole administrator of Bakura, and he was a former Chairman of ALGON Zamfara before Abdulazeez Yari Abubakar elevated to the rank of Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Close to his demise, he contested an election to the post of state house of assembly representing Bakura a bye election which was keenly contested even though he has lost it to Hon. Ibrahim Tudu Tukur.
He was one of the very few politicians that are known for kindness and humility to people.
LATE TUKUR JEKADA BIRNIN TUDU
Also in the year 2021, Zamfara loses three state lawmakers, the first that died was Tukur Jekada Birnin Tudu who was then Chairman of the house committee on local government matters, and he represented Bakura legislative constituency.
He died as a result of brief illness and his death left a vacuum for the most keenly contested bye election between the ruling People’s Democratic Party led by Bello Matawalle and APC led by the former Governor Abdulazeez Yari.
LATE G. AHMAD WALIN JANGERU
Another lawmaker that died in Zamfara 2021 was Hon. G. Ahmad who was murdered by some suspected gunmen along Sheme-Yankara road.
He was shot dead while travelling to Kano from Zamfara to drop his child, who was travelling to Sudan.
Until his death, he was a lawmaker representing Shinkafi at the state house of assembly and chairman house committee on finance and appropriation for the state house of assembly.
LATE IBRAHIM NA’IDDA GUSAU
Just at the early hours of today another lawmaker in Zamfara , Hon. Ibrahim Na’idda died.
He died at the Federal Medical Center Gusau after battling with protracted illness.
His funeral prayer was conducted at the Gusau Jumu’at Central Mosque on Saturday.
Until his death he was a member of the state house of assembly committee on Public Account,, and before he joined politics he was a retired director of finance in the state service.
LATE JAMILU IBRAHIM GUSAU
Another prominent politician that died in 2021 was Jamilu Ibrahim Shinkafi a chieftain of All Progressive Congress and young politician.
He died along Akwanga in Nasarawa state while travelling back to Abuja from a wedding in Bauchi.
Today mark exactly one year of his demise to his holy creator.
LATE SAGIR HAMIDA SARKIN RAFIN GUS.
Another politician that died in the year 2021 was Sagir Hamida Sarkin Rafin Gusau who murdered by some suspected gunmen along Kaduna-Abuja express road.
Until his death he was one of the APC gubernatorial aspirants that contested in 2019 gubernatorial election.
He also among the strong makers of Group of Eight (G8) the powerful politicians who ganged up to fight former Governor Abdulazeez Yari during the 2019 elections in Zamfara state.
Until his death he was part of the political camp of former Governor Yari who are fighting the seating of Governor Bello Matawalle.
What a big lesson for politicians who considered politics as do or die
By Managing Editor
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The Zamfara state Governorship election petition tribunal is to hold its inaugural sitting in Sokoto on Friday the 29th of June 2023.
This is contained in a letter of invitation signed by the Secretary to the tribunal Salihu Umar Esq.
Former Governor of Zamfara Bello Matawalle had through his counsel Usman O. Sule dragged Dauda Lawal, INEC and PDP to the tribunal challenging the declaration of Dauda Lawal as the elected Governor of Zamfara State.
Matawalle us challenging the non admissibility of the election result collated from Maradun by the state returning officer, non conduct of election in the four remaining Registration Areas of Birnin Magaji LG. as well as over voting in several poling units across the state.
He is praying for the tribunal to declare him winner of the 2023 gubernatorial poll having scoring over (98,000) votes in Maradun as against over (20,000) recorded as the score for his party.
Mr. Usman Sule (SAN) is to lead six other Senior Advocates of Nigeria, inclusive of Prof. Maiyaki in defending the petition filed by Governor Bello Matawalle.
Zamfara state government, through one of its spokesmans Mustapha Jafar Kaura has declared that the administration of Dauda Lawal will not enter into reconciliation with the armed bandits
Jafar who stated this via interview with the BBC Hausa insisted that Governor Dauda Lawal is saddened by the recent armed bandit tragedy that befallen the people of Janbako and Gora Namaye in Maradun local government area of the state.
He said apart from a message of condolences, the Governor had asked the security agencies to take the most decisive measures of address the deadly situation.
It could be recalled that on Saturday morning some armed bandits laid ambush on some members of a vigilante group and killed over twenty of them while they were on their way to offer reinforcement to the people of Sikkida community who were under attack by the bandits.
They also abducted over (30) women from Janbako community in the same Maradun local government council area.
Ten of the women escaped from captivity and while the police are insisting that they championed their rescue the locals said, the abductees freed themselves without the help of police or any security outfits.
Suspected bandits in their large number had launched deadly attacks on the people of Raka and Filin Gawa community of Tangaza local government area of Sokoto State.
The attack which resulted in the killing of over thirty persons left scores of others with critical injuries.
Apart from the number of those killed, four houses and some vehicles were also set ablaze by the bandits.
A source said, the bandits had been putting pressure on the locals to pay money in terms of fine before they were allowed to go to their farms.
“People of Tangaza and neighboring villages had been paying money to these bandits and to an extent that some communities such as Azam had to fled their homes because they had no money to pay to these bandits, and they had been putting pressure on them through constant threat of attacks and invasions.
Three months back they had invaded a village under Gwadabawa and rustled over (1,000) assorted livestock.
The source added that many communities had been under the rule of the armed bandits for sometimes now because the government could not do anything to save the people in the hand of these bandits.
The Sokoto State police Spokesperson ASP Ahmad Rufai has confirmed the incident via an interview with the BBC Hausa service on Monday morning.