The family of the 2019 gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Mukhtar Idris, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, over the plan by the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle to demolish a property belonging to their father in Gusau, the Zamfara state capital.

In a two-page petition to the President, signed by three members of the family including Aminu Shehu Idris, Sani Shehu Idris and Salisu Shehu Idris, the family, accused the governor of persecuting the family members.

Alhaji Mukhtar Idris, Koguna Gusau, a member of the family was the Governor-elect of Zamfara in 2019 before his victory was upturned by the Supreme Court few days to his inauguration last year.

The petition dated February 3, 2020 reads: “Your Excellency, we would like to draw your attention to the worrisome situation our family has found itself under the administration of Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State.

“Late last year, an unknown name alleged to be a member of our family was mentioned in a ghost workers scam in a bid to tarnish our good name which we refuted and demanded for an apology. And now our family house and a mosque built over 40 years ago by our late father has been marked for demolition by the Zamfara State Government.

“We are forced to use this medium to report our plight because we see it as a dangerous pattern of political persecution being adopted by Governors in this political dispensation.

“We say this for the fact that the development seems similar to the case of the family of the late elder statesman, Alhaji Olusola Saraki in Kwara State. The winner of the 2019 governorship election in Zamfara State, Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu Idris (Kogunan Gusau) under the flag of your party, whose victory was overturned by the Supreme Court judgement days to his swearing-in, is a member of our great family.

“Sir, we are a law abiding family and a part of the founding fathers of Zamfara State. Our family has strived and immensely contributed to the growth of the State but now being victimised for having a member of our family belonging to All progressives Congress (APC) a political party different from Governor Matawalle’s party, the PDP.

“Your Excellency on behalf of our family members and all Nigerians by the virtue reposed on you as the leader of all citizens, we call on you to kindly counsel all Governors in the country to treat their populace with just and fairness irrespective of party affiliation as you have always demonstrated while relating with them.” (THISDAY)

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