Marafa/Yari feud threatens APC in Zamfara
The feud between Governor Abdulaziz Yari and Chairman of the Senate committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Kabiru Garba Marafa, is threatening the fortunes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State.
Two factions of the party state executives have continued claiming legitimacy as a result of parallel congresses held in the state; while one of the factions belongs to Governor Yari, the other has the support of Senator Marafa.
The foundation for the trouble was laid on May 5 when the governor opted for affirmation during the ward, local government and state congresses, a move that was resisted by the senator who insisted that election should be conducted on the APC guidelines for the ward, local government and state congresses allowed for affirmation where there was a consensus but where there's none, election should be conducted.
In a letter to the chairman of the ward and local government congresses committee, Dauda Danladi, on May 5, the Marafa camp stood its ground, insisting that election must be conducted, a request which offended the thinking and calculation of the governor's camp. In the end, the governor had his way through affirmation.
The same affirmation repeated itself during the local government congress on Saturday, May 12 when the governor's camp refused to listen.
Worried by the action, Marafa's camp organised a parallel congress where the faction's executives for the 14 local government of the state emerged.
A similar scenario occurred during the state congress on 19 May as two parallel congresses were held, a development that produced two state executives for the party in the state. Marafa's camp produced Surajo Garba as its chairman and the governor's had Lawal Liman.
The biggest of the wrangling was at the venue of the national convention of the party in Abuja on June 23. The two factions produced two sets of delegates. While the delegates produced by the governor's camp were recognised, those from Marafa's camp were denied entry into the Eagle Square, venue of the convention.
Angered the development, the delegates addressed newsmen few kilometres away from the venue, claiming to be the authentic delegates from Zamfara State. by
The publicity secretary of the camp, Muhammad Bello Bakyasuwa, said they were the legitimate APC executives and delegates from Zamfara State. He said they fulfilled all the conditions stipulated in the guidelines for the congresses, including payment of the prescribed fees for each and every contestant through designated banks but that Yari's faction did not pay for their candidates as required by law.
Oshiomhole yet to act
At the moment, no action has been taken by the party hierarchy despite petitions written by the aggrieved members. There are fears that the feud if left unaddressed may affect the fortunes of the party come 2019 in the state. Zamfara is seen as one of the strongholds of the APC in the North West geopolitical zone.
Daily Trust reports that Zamfara, until 2015 and briefly in 2008 - 2011, had always been in the opposition. In 1999, the opposition, the then All People's Party (APP) won the governorship election in the state with Ahmad Sani Yarima as the torchbearer. He was re-elected in 2003 and in 2007, and his deputy, Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi was elected the governor of the state. But on December 5, 2008 Shinkafi decamped to the PDP following a feud between him and Yarima.
At the run up to the 2011 election, Marafa was denied the PDP ticket for Zamfara central senatorial district. He dumped the party for the ANPP and was given the ticket with which he defeated the PDP candidate at the general election.
In the Zamfara political circle, it is believed that the defeat of Shinkafi who was then seeking his second term, and the total rejection of the PDP was caused by the imposition of candidates and humiliation of party stalwarts including Marafa.
Analysts say, should APC fail to act on the feud between Yari and Marafa, the scenario of 2011 may repeat itself especially as Zamfara central where Marafa hails from produces 48 per cent of the total registered voters.
Out of the three senatorial districts, only Zamfara central is yet to produce a governor since the return of democracy in 1999. Zamfara West has produced governors twice (Ahmad Sani Yarima 19992007 and Abdulaziz Yari 2011 to date). Zamfara North Senatorial district has occupied it for four years (Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi 2007-2011).
Marafa had since indicated interest in contesting for the governorship come 2019. He made the intention known while hosting executives of the party during a Sallah homage.
At a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) with senators, national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, pledged that sustainable solution would be put in place to address the crisis.
He spoke when Marafa introduced himself as the chairman of the disenfranchised members of the APC in Zamfara State and a member of the national disenfranchised members of the party.
Daily Trust reports that no action has been taken by the NWC even as the crises rocking the party festered.
Concerns over Yarima’s grave silence
Mum is the style the leader and oracle Zamfara State politics.
Yarima, in recent times has been maintaining a grave silence. He is yet to say a thing regarding the crisis in the state.
Contacted, the publicity secretary of the governor's camp of the APC, Alhaji Shehu A. Isah, described the allegations by Marafa's camp as baseless. of of