The Northern Elders Unity Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, of employing “reckless and undemocratic tactics” to entice PDP members into the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Forum alleged that Matawalle has been using government influence and his vast wealth to pressure PDP supporters, including elected officials and party executives, to defect to the APC — a move it claimed was designed to weaken the opposition and destabilise democratic balance in the region.
The accusation was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the Forum’s National Secretary, Dr. Abbas Sadauki (Dan Madamin Tofa), following a strategic meeting of PDP elders from Kaura Namoda, Zurmi, Tsafe, and Bungudu local government areas.
The group claimed that Matawalle’s conduct formed part of a deliberate political plan ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Matawalle has embarked on a desperate mission to dismantle the PDP structure in Zamfara and across the North-West.
“His antecedents of using power and appointments to induce defections have created leadership vacuums and threatened the growth of democracy in our region,” Dr. Sadauki stated.
The Forum expressed concern that the current wave of defections was deceiving many loyal PDP members with false promises of better prospects in the APC, warning that such actions erode political fairness, justice, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently call Matawalle to order. His excessive interference and political desperation pose a serious danger to democracy and the principle of fair political competition in Nigeria,” the statement added.
Reports from Zamfara revealed that over 24,000 PDP members, including former party executives and elders from six local government areas, have already defected to the APC.
The Forum also alleged that some APC leaders were using financial inducements and offers of appointments to woo PDP supporters, describing the strategy as “an act of political desperation that threatens the foundation of multiparty democracy in Nigeria.”
