The Director, Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has condemned the protest and calls for the sack of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle as politically motivated.
Shinkafi in a statement said the politically motivated and mischievous protest is unpatriotic and and should be ignored by All Nigerians.
Some groups had protested at the National Assembly, calling for the removal of the immediate past governor of Zamfara State, for hoarding utility vehicles and other accusations.
Shinkafi, however said that, the sponsored protest should be probed by security agents and also issued a 14-day ultimatum to the leaders of the protest to apologise to Matawalle or face the full wrath of the law for defamation of character.
“The Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle is a man of integrity, an astute administrator. He is a man of impeccable character, high moral standard and an embodiment of patriotism who served 12 years as a member of the House of Representatives and was Chairman of the House Committee on Security and Intelligence for four years.
“The frivolous allegation that Matawalle hoarded utility vehicles is sub judice as the matter is before the Federal High Court Sokoto. It is mischievous to politicize a matter before a court of competent jurisdiction,” he stated.
According to him, the Zamfara State government did not at any time constitute any Administrative Panel of Inquiry let alone invited Matawalle to give account of his stewardship as governor of Zamfara State.
“The allegation of Matawalle being indicted by a panel of inquiry is false, a fabrication and political propaganda to tarnish his reputation by political jobbers and their sponsors.
“It is obvious that the rented crowd called protesters were not conversant with the Supreme Court judgement which declared that only a court of competent jurisdiction could indict a person of any criminal offence, not a Federal or State Government Administrative Panel of Inquiry.
“The allegation of embezzlement of Zamfara State International Cargo Airport funds is the figment of the fertile imagination of the rented crowd who did not know that the award and execution of the project is a Public-Private Partnership.
“The project was initiated by the Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi and Abdullazizi Yari administrations and abandoned. It was Governor Bello Matawalle’s government that implemented it as part of his legacy project,” he stated.
