Kalu Advises Zamfara’s Lawal to Align with Tinubu for State’s Progress

 Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu warned Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal on June 14, 2025, that failure to align politically with President Bola Tinubu could jeopardize Zamfara’s development. 

Kalu, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, urged Lawal, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor, to “play politics” with Tinubu to secure federal projects, citing Zamfara’s security and economic challenges, per The Guardian.

Zamfara, Nigeria’s banditry epicenter, recorded 1,200 kidnappings in 2024, with 20% of schools closed, per UNICEF. Lawal’s administration has clashed with APC leaders, including former Governor Bello Matawalle, now Defence Minister, over control of federal resources, per Al Jazeera. Kalu pointed to Tinubu’s N50 billion allocation for Northwest security, including Zamfara’s Operation Hadarin Daji, as evidence of federal support, per Nigeria Army data. He argued that political synergy could unlock N200 billion for infrastructure, like the Gusau-Dansadau road, stalled since 2020.

Lawal, elected in 2023 with 377,726 votes, has resisted APC overtures, accusing Matawalle of sponsoring bandits, a claim dismissed by the military, per BBC. Kalu’s remarks reflect APC’s strategy to consolidate power, with 22 states under its control, per INEC. Zamfara’s 8% GDP contribution from mining faces threats from illegal operations, costing N100 billion annually, per the Ministry of Solid Minerals. Kalu cited Delta’s recent APC defection as a model for Zamfara to gain federal favor, per The Guardian.

Lawal’s aides called Kalu’s statement “condescending,” insisting Zamfara’s PDP loyalty serves its 3.5 million residents, per Al Jazeera. Analysts warn that political fragmentation could worsen Zamfara’s 60% poverty rate, per World Bank data. Kalu’s appeal, while strategic, underscores Nigeria’s polarized politics, where state-federal alignment often dictates resource access, a dynamic Lawal must navigate to deliver on his campaign promises by 2027.