Issues as Marafa backs INEC on Zamfara primaries tussle

A governorship aspirant of the APC in Zamfara State, Sen. Kabiru Garba Marafa, has insisted that the party did not conduct any primary election or agreed on consensus candidates for the various elective offices.

Marafa’s claim contrasted those of Gov. Abdulaziz Yari who claimed primaries were held and the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who said they were about reaching a consensus in Zamfara.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Tuesday in a letter to Oshiomhole said the party had lost its right to field candidates for all elective positions as it did not conduct primaries.

But Oshiomhole in his response told INEC that the party’s candidates in the state emerged through consensus, faulting the electoral umpire’s position on the matter.

However, Marafa, yesterday, backed INEC at a press conference at the National Assembly.

“I want to believe the chairman (Oshiomhole) was being misled by the APC electoral committee that went to Zamfara.

“But as a stakeholder who was present and witnessed the whole process that happened, there was no election in Zamfara on Saturday October 7, 2018.

“Also, there was no consensus from anybody or by anybody. So, the election committee reported in the contrary,” he said.

But sources in Abuja and Zamfara told Daily Trust that the consensus arrangement had wanted Marafa, who is a leading contestant for the governorship seat, to shelve the idea and return to the Senate.

The idea also required that Mukhtar Idris, who is the preferred choice of Governor Yari, also forgets the ambition and that ex-governor Mahmud Shinkafi or Dauda Lawan Dare be picked as consensus candidate.

But a source close to Deputy Governor Ibrahim Wakkala, who is also in the race, said they heard of the development but were not comfortable with it. “We also heard that Governor Yari would simply go to the Senate but we feel there are so many issues that must be addressed for the various offices,” he added.

Marafa told journalists yesterday that he was still a member of the APC, but that if the party did anything wrong, he would not hesitate to point it out.

“If the party has any way within the law to fill in any candidate, I will be happy, but not when the issues are based on a wrong foundation. So, let us address the issues the way they are,” he said.

“So, by and large, the only thing I saw wrong in the letter is the assertion that there was a consensus. There was no consensus. We are gubernatorial aspirants but some people stepped down.

“For the remaining five aspirants, there was no consensus till the end of the exercise. The truth of the matter is that the APC electoral committee tried to achieve a consensus among the aspirants for the governorship and senatorial aspirants, but the two factions of the party could not agree,” he added.