APC Risks Not Fielding Governorship Candidate In Zamfara, Aspirant Warns

Zamfara governorship aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress , Senator Kabiru Marafa , says the party risks not fielding a candidate in the 2019 election if it fails to conduct credible party primary in the state by Sunday .The All Progressives Congress National Working Committee had , on Thursday , cancelled the Zamfara governorship primary.

The APC acting National Publicity Secretary , Mr . Yekini Nabena, who announced this in a statement in Abuja , said the cancellation followed election malpractices , including snatching of electoral materials.

However , Marafa warned that the primary must be conducted before the INEC deadline on Sunday or risk disqualification.

“ Well , it is not about me now ; I think it is about APC generally , whether APC has a chance or not , because once it is blocked by 12 . 00 a . m . ( on Sunday ) , APC will have nowhere to go to , ’’ he said.

The senator , who stated that he was in the Aso Rock Villa to update President Muhammadu Buhari on the failed APC governorship primary in Zamfara , alleged that the state governor , Abdul Aziz Yari , had lost the support of people of the state.

He described as “ illegal and irresponsible ’’ the action of the governor after the announcement of the cancellation of the primary by the Prof . Abubakar Faki – led APC Zamfara Governorship Primaries Committee.

“ The chairman of the APC Zamfara Governorship Primaries Committee witnessed the violence ; he saw what happened after several days of meeting and he cancelled the election.

“ The governor went on air to say that the elections would continue on Thursday and that he would collate the results.

“ This is quite illegal and it is capable of turning the state upside down , ’’ he said.

Marafa , who alleged that Governor Yari and his supporters were trying to sabotage the interest of the party in Zamfara , dismissed the allegation of political thuggery being leveled against him by some state government officials.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Yari was among the nine APC governors who met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday concerning the way and manner the APC party primaries were conducted across the country.

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State , who briefly spoke on behalf of the governors after the meeting , said the governors were looking for a way out of the party’ s predicament resulting from its primaries.


( NAN )