The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Dauda Lawal of persistent use of security personnel working at the Government House to harass and arrest members of the opposition in the state.

In a statement, the spokesman for the state chapter of the APC, Mallam Yusuf Idris Gusau, said the governor has on many occasions used the security personnel working at the Government House to persecute and intimidate APC members in the state.

According to Gusau, the governor was doing so to cripple the APC’s chances of winning the 2027 elections.

He stressed that no amount of political persecution or intimidation could stop APC’s struggle to wrest power from the PDP government in the state come 2027.

He expressed disgust at the recent arrest of Bashiru Isah Gusau, an APC social media influencer and Coordinator, Youth Mobilisation for Tinubu’s re-election campaign, who was arrested on Wednesday by security agents.

Idris said, “The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is appalled by the illegal arrest of one of its members, Bashir Isah Gusau, by security personnel attached to Governor Dauda Lawal.

“He was picked by four persons who identified themselves as DSS personnel attached to the Government House, who drove a covered plate number jeep from the Government House”.

“The victim was tracked to a football viewing centre in Sabon Gari area of Gusau, the state capital, around 10 pm..

“When other viewers tried to protect the victim, the security men fired live bullets to bully and scare people, who scampered away for their lives, as the personnel then threw the victim into their vehicle and sped off to an unknown destination.”

Idrís maintained that a search of all the police stations in Gusau town indicated that the victim was not brought to them, while all his phone lines have been switched off.

“We strongly assume he has been castrated in the Government House,” Gusau added.

He described this as sad and a misapplication of power against innocent persons by the Dauda Lawal-led administration in the state, who he said has turned his security details into political hounds.

“Such unfortunate behaviours were directed against our members before now and were stopped when we raised the alarm against the government, but they are now resurfacing,” he said.

Gusau stressed that the APC in the state would not fold its arms and watch its members being subdued unjustifiably through the use of politicised security agents.

“We are calling on the Inspector General of Police and the Director General, Department of State Service, to call their attached Government House personnel to order.

“While our lawyers have already been mobilised to swing into action, and if any of our members is unjustly victimised, the party will challenge it legally,” he said.

He appealed to APC members to remain calm, concluding that the leaders were on top of the matter.

Reacting to the incident, the spokesman of the state chapter of the PDP, Alhaji Haliru Andi, said there was no iota of truth in the APC’s allegation.

Andi said, “The state government under the leadership of Governor Lawal has never victimised the opposition as being done by the previous administrations in the state.”

He stated that Governor Lawal has been treating the people of the State as one family since assuming office in 2023, irrespective of political differences.

Andi described the alleged arrest of an APC member, Bashir Isa Gusau, on the order of Governor Lawal, as baseless, untrue and unfounded.

He said, “The APC members are only trying to smear the good image of Governor Dauda Lawal because they have nothing to say about his leadership qualities.

“He has no hand in the alleged arrest, as speculated by the opposition APC, and has never ordered the arrest of any person because of political differences.

“Lawal considers himself the governor of the state and not the PDP governor; as such, he treats everyone equally, irrespective of political inclination.

“The people of Zamfara State can bear me witness that since the governor assumed office in 2023, he has been busy trying to develop the state, which has, over the years, been groping in the dark.

“This is what the opposition APC is afraid of, and they have nothing to say other than to embark on useless allegations against the governor just to smear his good reputation.”