A northern youth advocacy group, Arewa Youths for Democracy and Development (AYDD), has launched a scathing attack on Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, accusing him of gross underperformance and warning that his administration’s failures will not be tolerated beyond 2027.
In a statement issued in Gusau on Sunday, the group declared the beginning of a grassroots mobilization campaign to unseat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor in the next election cycle, citing what it described as a dramatic collapse of governance under Lawal’s leadership.
Comrade Ibrahim Danladi Gwaska, president of the group said: “Enough is enough. Zamfara cannot afford another lost decade.
“What we have seen over the past two years is a tragic abdication of responsibility. Governor Lawal has failed across every key sector—security, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and youth development.”
AYDD said the optimism that greeted Lawal’s emergence in May 2023 has quickly turned to disillusionment, accusing the administration of reversing the modest progress achieved by the previous government.
“Zamfara is far worse off today than it was before Lawal took office.
“Bandits continue to terrorize communities in Maru, Zurmi, Anka, Shinkafi, and Tsafe, and the government offers no visible strategy or protection. Rural Zamfara is burning, and the governor is silent,” Gwaska said.
The group described the state’s education system as “a disaster,” with collapsing infrastructure, unpaid teachers, and students learning in inhumane conditions.
“Primary and secondary schools in Bakura and Bungudu lack basic amenities. Children sit on bare floors, and teachers are owed salaries. Yet the governor boasts at international conferences,” Gwaska stated.
He added that the healthcare system is in “total disrepair,” with general hospitals and clinics lacking drugs, electricity, and staff.
He said: “Some hospitals tell women in labour to bring their own water and fuel. Meanwhile, the governor travels abroad for checkups. That’s an insult to the people.”
The group also blasted the administration for abandoning campaign promises related to youth empowerment, innovation, and job creation.
“There is no training, no business support, and no employment initiatives. Youth unemployment and drug abuse are on the rise, yet the government is indifferent,” Gwaska said.
He further cited the abandonment of key road projects as evidence of poor leadership, noting that many of the projects were inherited but left uncompleted, leaving farmers and traders cut off and worsening economic hardship.
AYDD accused the administration of operating without transparency, particularly in matters of budget implementation, security funding, and contract awards.
“Lawal came in branding himself a World Bank technocrat, but nothing has improved. The state’s finances remain weak, and public contracts lack transparency,” Gwaska added.
The group called on the Zamfara State House of Assembly, traditional institutions, and civil society groups to step in and demand accountability from the state government.
“We are not asking for miracles—just a functional government that listens and acts. If Governor Lawal cannot deliver, he should prepare to vacate the seat. The 2027 elections will be his report card,” Gwaska warned.
AYDD said it would begin a state-wide civic education and mobilization tour aimed at building a broad coalition of citizens ready to vote out the current administration.
“Zamfara belongs to the people, not a political elite. The countdown to 2027 begins now,” the group declared.