Bello Matawalle

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Bello Muhammad Matawalle
5th Governor of Zamfara State
Assumed office
29 May 2019
Preceded byAbdul'aziz Abubakar Yari
Member of the House of Representatives of Nigeria for Bakura/Maradun
In office
9 June 2003 – 9 June 2015
Zamfara State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs
In office
29 May 1999 – 29 May 2003
Personal details
Born (1969-02-12) 12 February 1969 (age 52)
Maradun, Zamfara State
NationalityNigerian
Political partyAll Progressives Congress (2021–present)
Other political
affiliations		People's Democratic Party (2011–2021)
All Nigeria Peoples Party (2003-2011)
United Nigeria Congress Party (1998-2003)
ResidenceAbuja

Bello Muhammad Matawalle (born February 12, 1962) is the current Governor of Zamfara State, Nigeria.[1] He is a member and leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress party in Zamfara State, Nigeria.

Early life and education[]

Bello Matawalle was born February 12, 1969, in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara. He obtained First School Leaving Certificate from Maradun Township Primary School in 1979. He graduated from VTC Bunza in 1984. He attended Yaba College of Technology, Lagos and later went to Thames Valley University, London.[2]

Political career[]

He worked as a teacher at Government Girls College Moriki and Kwatarkoshi before joining the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. Matawalle's first shot in politics was in 1998 when he ran for a house of assembly seat and won after he left the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Abuja, joining the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) which consisted of politicians such as Ambassador Isa Aliyu Mohammed Argungu (Sarkin Yakin Kabbi) former Minister of Water Resources and National Chairman of the party, Ibrahim Gusau former pro tem National Chairman of the party, Atiku Abubakar, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, Attahiru Bafarawa, Adamu Aliero, Suleiman Takuma, Ibrahim Kura Mohammed, Ibrahim Saminu Turaki and Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya but after the death of Sani Abacha, Nigerian Military Head of State on June 8, 1998, Abdulsalami Abubakar, his successor, dissolved the political parties and announced that elections would hold in 1999.

Between 1999 and 2003 he served as Zamfara State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Commissioner for Environment, Rural Development and then Commissioner for Youth and Sports.

Matawalle was elected into the House of Representatives by his constituents Bakura/Maradun in May 2003 on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

Matawalle was re-elected in 2007 still on the platform of the ANPP only to defect to PDP on which platform he was re-elected for a third term in 2011.

Matawalle polled 189,452 in the March polls as against the 534,541 votes for Muktar Idris, the APC candidate.

Muktar Idris was at first, issued the certificate of return, however, the court of appeal in Sokoto ordered that the INEC should withdraw the certificate.[3]

The Supreme Court later pronounced that the votes cast for the APC in the election as wasted and ordered that the candidate with the second highest votes be sworn in on Wednesday. This is because the APC failed to conduct primary election for all the candidates in Zamfara State.[4]

Defection to APC[]

On 1 June 2021, Matawalle dissolved his Executive Council, reportedly in preparation for a party switch to the APC set to happen around June 12.[5] Matawalle however, denied that the cabinet dissolution was connected to a party switch and claimed to have not made a decision on changing parties nor set a date.[6]

On June 27, President Muhammadu Buhari's Personal Media aide Bashir Ahmad said Matawalle had joined the APC. The party switch was later confirmed by Matawalle's spokesperson Ibrahim Dosara, who said Matawalle would formally announce the defection on June 29.[7] On June 29, Matawalle, along with all 3 Zamfara Senators, 6 of 7 Representatives, and all 24 House of Assembly members, officially switched to the APC at a rally in Gusau attended by other APC Governors; notably Deputy Governor Mahdi Aliyu Gusau and Anka/Mafara Representative Kabiru Yahaya remained in the PDP. Mai Mala Buni, Yobe State Governor and APC Caretaker Chairman, immediately dissolved all party caretaker committees in Zamfara State and appointed Matawalle as Zamfara APC Leader.[8]

Personal life[]

Matawalle is married to four wives and has children.[9]

References[]

  1. ^ "INEC Declares PDP's Mattawalle Winner Of Zamfara Gov Election | Channels Television". www.channelstv.com. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  2. ^ "Biography of Mr Bello Matawalle (Zamfara State Governor) | Noisemakers". Latest Nigeria news Today. 2019-05-25. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  3. ^ Odunsi, Wale (2019-05-27). "Zamfara: INEC confirms withdrawing 64 certificates of return, to retrieve more". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  4. ^ Iroanusi, QueenEsther (2019-05-24). "PROFILE: Bello Matawalle: PDP candidate who lost election but could be Zamfara governor". Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  5. ^ Maishanu, Abubakar Ahmadu. "Zamfara governor Matawalle to join APC on June 12 – Source". Premium Times. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  6. ^ Maishanu, Abubakar Ahmadu. "I am not defecting to APC on June 12 – Zamfara governor". Premium Times. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  7. ^ Ajayi, Adebola. "Zamfara Governor Bello Matawalle joins APC". Peoples Gazette. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  8. ^ Altine, Maiharaji. "Matawalle dumps PDP, becomes APC leader in Zamfara". The Punch. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Profile of Zamfara Governor-elect, Hon Bello Matawalle". Desert Herald Newspaper. 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2019-06-01.


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