Gusau, Zamfara State – In a scorching escalation of long-simmering political rivalries, former Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa has unleashed a brutal takedown of Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, declaring, “I made you governor.” The pointed mockery, delivered through Marafa’s support group, has ignited fresh fireworks in Zamfara’s fractured APC landscape, where old alliances crumble under the weight of alleged ingratitude and broken promises.
The drama unfolded on December 11, 2025, via a blistering statement from Alhaji Surajo Garba Maikatako, Chairman of the Marafa Support Group. Maikatako lambasted recent claims by Tukur Danfulani, Zamfara APC Chairman and Matawalle loyalist, who asserted that the minister had propped up Marafa during his senatorial tenure. Dismissing it as “complete falsehood,” Maikatako flipped the script: “In the entire political history of Zamfara, it was Senator Marafa who helped Bello Matawalle… Allah made Matawalle Governor through Senator Marafa.” He added that “whoever benefited from Matawalle’s government is a product of Senator Marafa,” underscoring the former senator’s pivotal role in engineering Matawalle’s 2019 upset victory after defecting from the APC to the PDP.
Flashback to 2019: Marafa, a two-term senator for Zamfara Central (2011-2019), was a kingmaker in the state’s volatile politics, locked in a fierce rivalry with then-APC Governor Abdul’aziz Yari. When Matawalle, a PDP contender, clinched the governorship amid defections and court battles, Marafa’s strategic backing—including mobilizing votes and navigating federal overtures—was credited by insiders as the linchpin. Matawalle himself reportedly acknowledged this debt publicly, vowing loyalty. But by 2021, as Matawalle flipped to the APC, the honeymoon soured. Marafa accused him of betrayal, refusing federal inducements to sideline Yari in favor of a Matawalle-led merger. Tensions boiled over in 2023 when Marafa lost his senate reelection bid, blaming Matawalle’s machine, and again in September 2025 when Marafa threatened to slash President Tinubu’s Zamfara votes by 1 million—a vow APC groups mocked as empty bluster from a “failed senator.”
This latest salvo arrives amid broader accusations of a “campaign of calumny” against Matawalle by Marafa and Governor Dauda Lawal, with indigenes claiming relative peace under the ex-governor’s watch. Marafa’s camp alleges Matawalle dodges court challenges to “serious and specific allegations” from credible sources, painting him as morally and historically adrift. “How can we envy what we ourselves created?” Maikatako quipped, challenging Danfulani’s jealousy narrative.
Social media is ablaze with reactions, amplifying the mockery. On X, posts from outlets like Vanguard Newspapers racked up thousands of views, with users piling on: One viral thread quipped, “Marafa dropping receipts like confetti—’I made you governor’ is the ultimate burn! 😂 #ZamfaraDrama.” APC hardliners rallied behind Matawalle, with one supporter tweeting, “Marafa’s bitterness is showing; he couldn’t even save his own seat, now playing godfather?” Analysts like those at Premium Times see it as vintage Northern intrigue, where personal slights fuel factional wars. “This isn’t just shade—it’s a historical rewrite,” tweeted a Gusau-based commentator, echoing calls for Matawalle to honor his roots.
For U.S. readers eyeing Nigeria’s intricate democracy, this spat spotlights the high-stakes chess of African politics, mirroring U.S. primary feuds where kingmakers turn adversaries. Economically, it disrupts Zamfara’s gold-rich economy—Africa’s top artisanal producer—exacerbating banditry that has displaced 500,000 since 2019, per UN estimates, and hiking U.S. aid costs via counter-terrorism pacts. Technologically, it underscores digital campaigning’s role, with X-fueled narratives swaying youth voters (over 60% under 25), influencing U.S. tech firms like Meta in moderating election misinformation. Politically, it tests Tinubu’s APC unity ahead of 2027, potentially emboldening opposition like PDP, which U.S. observers monitor for stability in a key oil supplier.
User intent boils down to grasping power dynamics: Voters seek accountability in godfatherism, while politicos want strategies to navigate betrayals. For management, Marafa’s playbook—leverage history via proxies like Maikatako—offers a blueprint, but experts warn escalation risks party splits. Aspiring leaders? Document alliances in writing; verbal vows evaporate fast.
The feud traces deeper rifts, including Marafa’s 2024 rebuke of Matawalle’s “burden” jab at Northern elders, demanding apologies to preserve regional harmony. APC insiders whisper of ministerial ambitions dashed when Tinubu picked Matawalle in 2023, fueling Marafa’s anti-Tinubu threats. As Zamfara’s APC touts unity under Matawalle and Yari, Marafa’s barbs signal no truce.
In summary, Senator Marafa’s “I made you governor” mockery lays bare a decade of Zamfara betrayals, from 2019 kingmaking to 2025 vendettas, threatening APC cohesion. The future outlook? Expect courtroom clashes and vote-poaching ahead of 2027, unless elders broker a fragile peace—lest personal egos eclipse the party’s national bid.
By Sam Michael
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