Governor Dauda Lawal has accused the federal government of excluding his state from a N500 billion palliative programme, alleging the decision was influenced by political considerations.
The governor, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the claim in a widely circulated video and in comments reported by several media outlets. He said Zamfara has not received any federal intervention funds beyond its statutory allocations since he assumed office in 2023.
According to Lawal, some states have benefited from the federal palliative fund, but Zamfara has not received any support. He suggested that the exclusion may be linked to his party’s opposition status, alleging that states governed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have received substantial financial assistance.
State relying on its own resources
The governor said his administration has had to depend entirely on state resources to support residents through food distribution and other welfare programmes, despite facing economic and security challenges.
He added that the federal relief packages were meant to be shared fairly among all states, regardless of political affiliation.
Background
The federal government introduced various support measures — including cash transfers, food distribution, and other relief programmes — after the removal of fuel subsidy in 2023, a policy that led to a sharp rise in living costs across Nigeria.
Lawal’s allegation comes amid wider concerns from some opposition figures about possible political bias in the allocation of federal resources. At the time of filing this report, federal authorities had not publicly responded, and the claims could not be independently verified.
Related development
Meanwhile, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC governors for approving N8 billion in support for victims of the recent fire outbreak at Singer Market.
According to the Kano governor’s spokesperson, the federal government provided N5 billion, while APC governors contributed N3 billion to assist affected traders. Yusuf described the intervention as timely, noting it would help ease the losses suffered by victims of the blaze, which reportedly destroyed goods worth billions of naira and affected about 1,000 traders.
