•Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State
A civic group based in the north-west region, Coalition for Good Governance and Accountability in the North-West (COGGAN), has called on Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State to resign from office over what it described as a “complete failure” to deliver on his campaign promises, particularly in the areas of insecurity and basic education.
In a strongly worded statement released yesterday and signed by its president, Alhaji Ibrahim Anka, the group said Lawal had “grossly underperformed” and accused him of squandering the goodwill that brought him into office in 2023, reports Daily Independent.
The group reminded the governor of his campaign promise to end banditry within three months of assuming office — a vow it said has turned out to be “a joke” on the people of Zamfara who continue to live in fear.
“Governor Dauda Lawal told Zamfara people during the 2023 election campaign that he would bring an end to banditry within three months of becoming governor.
“It is now over a year, and not only has insecurity worsened, but entire communities have been abandoned to the mercy of violent gangs,” the statement reads.
“The governor has failed in his most basic duty — to protect lives and property. Villages are being raided weekly, schoolchildren are kidnapped, farmers can’t access their lands, and rural markets have collapsed. If this is not failure, what is?”
COGGAN also accused the governor of neglecting the education sector, noting that not a single functional school has been constructed or rehabilitated since he assumed office.
“Zamfara ranks among the poorest states in terms of education, yet the governor has done nothing to change this. He promised to build schools for poor children, but no single block of classrooms has been commissioned. Instead, billions of naira have been spent without transparency or measurable outcomes,” the group said.
The group also questioned the handling of federal allocations, budgetary releases, and special intervention funds, insisting that there is little on the ground to justify the state’s income since 2023.
“Since May 2023, Zamfara has received over N100 billion in federal allocations and intervention funds. Where is the money? What has it been used for? There are no roads, no new hospitals, no improvements in water supply, and no job creation programmes for our youth. The people deserve answers,” the statement added.
COGGAN warned that Zamfara risks falling into a deeper state of despair unless urgent steps are taken to reverse the trend of poor governance and lack of transparency.
“Governor Lawal is not running a private business — he was elected to serve. But what we have seen is a governor more focused on PR and photo ops than actual governance. He has failed to convene stakeholder dialogues, failed to present detailed financial reports, and failed to engage citizens on how their resources are being used,” it stated.
The group ended its statement with a call for immediate resignation, noting that the people of Zamfara deserve better leadership and a future free from fear, illiteracy, and poverty.
“We hereby call on Governor Dauda Lawal to step down honourably. He has betrayed the trust of the people who elected him. Resignation is the first step toward restoring hope and rebuilding Zamfara,” the group declared.
