By Henry Umoru

ABUJA- CHAIRMAN, Senate Committee on South-East Development Commission, SEDC, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, APC, Abia North, has asked Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, to set aside political differences and build a working relationship with President Bola Tinubu to secure critical federal support for the state’s development.

Speaking in Gusau on Monday while commissioning the newly constructed Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, as well as the renovated Zamfara College of Arts and Science, the former Abia State Governor warned that Zamfara risks losing out on significant federal investments if Governor Lawal, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), fails to embrace what he described as “political economics.”

In a statement from his Media Office, the former Senate Whip, said, “I’m not asking you to join APC or abandon your party. But for the sake of Zamfara, you must find common ground with President Tinubu. Economic diplomacy is key to bringing federal money and development to your people.”

Orji recounted his own political experience, recalling his days as a PDP governor from 1999 to 2007, during which he maintained a cordial and productive relationship with Tinubu, who was then Governor of Lagos State under the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

He said, “Even when we belonged to different parties, we worked together. My children lived in President Tinubu’s house in Lagos while I governed Abia. Mrs. Tinubu raised them like her own. We’ve had our differences, but we resolved them for the greater good.You can do the same.”

Kalu who emphasized that politics must not hinder economic progress, stressed the need for a strategic alignment that would ensure Zamfara benefits from ongoing federal initiatives, just as he noted that, in today’s governance landscape, access to federal resources requires constructive political relationships.

Kalu said, “If you play politics and ignore economic cooperation, the people of Zamfara will lose. But if you adopt political economics, you will secure funding and accelerate development.”

The Senator who further encouraged Governor Lawal to engage and collaborate with former Governor Abdul’aziz Yari, stressing the importance of unity among Zamfara’s political elite, said, “This state needs collective leadership. You and Yari are sons of the soil. Set aside personal and political rifts to build a stronger, more prosperous Zamfara. This is about the people, not personal ambition.”

His comments came amidst growing concerns over Nigeria’s political climate, with recent defections by Governors Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom) and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) to the APC bringing the ruling party’s control to 23 out of 36 states. Critics have warned of a creeping slide into a one-party state, a claim President Tinubu refuted in his June 12 Democracy Day address, emphasizing his administration’s commitment to multiparty democracy.

Kalu stated clearly; “political affiliation should not stand in the way of development. He appealed to Governor Lawal to demonstrate statesmanship by putting Zamfara’s future above partisanship.Politics will come and go. What endures is what we do for our people. Let Zamfara come first,”