Former lawmaker Shehu Sani has said that the defection of Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should mark the beginning of a new era of peace and reconciliation among the state’s political elites.
Sani made the remarks in a statement on Tuesday while reacting to the governor’s decision to join the ruling party.
According to him, years of intense political rivalry and hostility among political actors in Zamfara have weakened efforts to address insecurity, particularly banditry.
“The defection of the Governor of Zamfara to the ruling party should herald a new chapter of peace and reconciliation within the Zamfara political elites,” Sani said.
He added that political divisions had long undermined coordinated security efforts in the state.
“The years of bitter political rivalries and hostilities have seriously undermined efforts to tackle the security challenges in the state,” he said.
The former senator also described Zamfara as the epicentre of banditry in the North-West, emphasising that unity among political leaders is vital to confronting the crisis.
“Zamfara is the epicentre of banditry in the North West. I’m glad to see that all hands will now be on deck to confront the problem,” he said.
According to an earlier report from Politics Nigeria, Governor Lawal announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC following consultations with political stakeholders in the state.