The Women Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State, Maryam Lawal Gumi, has accused the administration of Governor Dauda Lawal of shortchanging indigenes in contract awards, alleging that she was given a contract worth ₦37 million but received only ₦300,000.
Maryam Gumi made the allegation while speaking as a guest on the 8th edition of the PDP-sponsored political programme, 'GASKIYA BATA NEMAN ADO' (Truth Needs No Decoration).
The programme is sponsored by the Zamfara State PDP under the leadership of its Chairman, Zilfikar Auwal Tambaya (Mainan Tsafe), in collaboration with PDP governorship aspirant, Engineer Ibrahim Shehu Bakauye, PhD, and anchored by Nasiru Musa Adafka.
Speaking during the programme, which also had in attendance the PDP Publicity Secretary, Kabirudeen Muhammad Tsafe, the State PDP Chairman, and the Shinkafi Local Government PDP Chairman, Hon. Nasiru Yusuf Shinkafi, Maryam Gumi condemned what she described as injustice and betrayal in the award of contracts.
"I want to condemn how contracts are being awarded in this state. I was given a contract of about N37 million, but painfully and annoyingly, only three hundred thousand naira was given to me out of the N37 million," she said.
According to her, the practice is not peculiar to her alone, but is the fate of many indigenous contractors in the state.
"I can confirm that anyone who is given a contract and is an indigene of Zamfara State knows this is how they do it. This is injustice, it is betrayal and it shows lack of love for the indigenes of Zamfara State," she alleged.
Maryam Gumi, who was a staunch supporter of Governor Dauda Lawal during the 2023 election, said women mobilized for the governor without receiving a kobo, only to be abandoned after victory.
"If you remember, we campaigned for Dauda free of charge. We went into every nook and cranny and mobilized people for him without him giving us even one naira," she said.
She further claimed that since the inception of the present administration, her local government, Gumi, has not benefited from any meaningful project.
"Since this government came, Gumi has not gotten any project worth up to ten million naira. Nobody has been helped except the Commissioner for Religious Affairs," she alleged.
The PDP Women Leader also faulted the much-celebrated Gusau International Airport, saying it has no direct benefit to the common man.
"The airport has no use for the poor. Since the Hajj operation ended, no one has been airlifted from that airport again. This shows the airport has no benefit for the poor people of Zamfara State," she stated.
She also reacted to reports that she was sponsored to Saudi Arabia for Hajj by the state government, saying she would have preferred cash to the trip due to pressing personal needs.
"It is true I was taken to Saudi Arabia, but by Allah, I need the visa money more than that seat in Makkah, because I have serious life challenges that are more important to me than going to Makkah," she said.
Maryam Gumi declared that women in Zamfara are now ready to lead the battle to unseat the present administration in 2027, and expressed confidence that PDP governorship aspirant, Engineer Ibrahim Shehu Bakauye, will win the election because of his honesty and track record.
She dismissed claims that Governor Dauda Lawal has emptied the PDP into the APC, describing it as deception, and insisted that many of those seen around the governor will work against him in 2027.
