The management of Abdul Gusau Polytechnic, Talata Mafara, in Zamfara State, has come under public fire over unconstitutional eviction notices issued to staff members allegedly linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State.

The Guardian gathered that the affected people are Dr. Lawal Umar Maradun, Malam Jamilu Hassan, and Malam Abdulhakim Yusuf, noting that they have been directed to vacate their residences at the Rima River Basin Development Authority Staff Quarters, otherwise known as Bakalori Estate, without the joint approval required from supervising authorities.

This medium also learnt that one of the affected people is a close associate of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, and he is said to have spent nearly ₦20 million renovating the house he occupies.

The Bakalori Estate Community Association (BECA) has strongly opposed the Polytechnic’s action, describing it as unilateral, unfair, and a breach of the long-standing agreement that governs the estate.

In a protest letter dated September 22, 2025, addressed to the Polytechnic Registrar, the Association maintained that the institution had no authority to issue such eviction orders without mutual consent between the Rima Basin Authority and the Polytechnic’s management, as explicitly stated in their joint agreement.

BECA’s Secretary, T/Wada Samaila Abubakar, who signed the letter, said that the eviction notices contravene Article 16 of the RIMA/POLY joint committee guidelines, which spell out that housing allocation and revocation are the sole responsibility of the joint committee.

The Association further stated that the Polytechnic’s management resorted to selective enforcement, noting that the affected staff were up to date with their rent payments, whereas other defaulters were ignored. They described the action as an injustice.

They urged the Institution’s management to suspend the eviction plan, emphasising the need for due process and peaceful coexistence within the community, and warned that members may resort to legal action if the decision is not reversed.

As of press time, the Polytechnic management has not issued an official response to the protest.

In other news, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, Dr. Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi, has declared his willingness to contest the 2027 governorship election on the platform of the party.

The former APGA national secretary disclosed this while addressing his teeming supporters in Gusau, the state capital.

Shinkafi explained that the era of imposing candidates within the APC is over, saying that nobody can intimidate him due to his position.
“I am a qualified member of APC and I have the right to contest the primary election of any position in the party,” he added.
“Former Governor Ahmed Sani Yarima is from Zamfara West, governed the state for eight years and went to the Senate for 12 years, and Senator Abdulaziz Yari also governed the state for eight years, and Matawalle governed the state for four years”, he said.
“All these people are from Zamfara West, meaning that the zone has so far governed the state for 20 years.
“Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi from Zamfara North governed the state for only four years. The Zamfara West is marginalising other zones in the state.”