Bello Matawalle is a teacher before his venture into the Nigerian political space in 1998. His real name is Bello Muhammad but fondly and officially known as Bello Matawalle.
Who is Bello Matawalle?
Bello Matawalla was born in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara on December 12, 1969.
Education
Matawalle attended Maradun Township Primary School finishing in 1979. He also studied at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos and Thames Valley University, London.
Wives and Children
Matawalle is married to four wives with 30 children.
His wives names include:
- Hajiya Aisha Bello
- Hajiya Fatima
- Hajiya Balkisu
- Hajiya Dadiya
Non-political career
He worked as a teacher at Government Girls College Moriki and Kwatarkoshi before joining the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
Political career
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.
Zamfara LG commissioner
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.
House of Representatives member
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.
Zamfara governorship race
Campaign
Matawalle vowed that he would focus on three key issues – security, education and health – if elected in 2019 as Zamfara state governor, and that the state would only move forward if the three sectors were given the attention they deserved.
During his campaign, the former Reps member said he would transform the state from “penury to Eldorado” within a few months of his administration if elected as governor.
Matawalle polled 189,452 in the 2019 gubernatorial election in Zamfara 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.
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 (Matawalle) be sworn in on Wednesday.
This is because the APC failed to conduct primary election for all the candidates in Zamfara State.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Disclaimer
The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.
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