Elections: Why Zamfara APC must not field candidates – Senator

The Senator representing Zamfara Central, Kabiru Marafa, Tuesday insisted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State must not be allowed to field candidates in the February National Assembly and March governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Marafa said that the ruling of an Abuja Federal High Court that Zamfara APC should not field candidates for the elections should be obeyed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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The Senator who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resource (Downstream) stated this at a press briefing in Abuja.

He said that INEC should stand by its earlier position that the Zamfara State APC has no candidates for the elections due to the party’s failure to conduct primary elections within the time frame set for it.

Marafa who is also a member of APC noted that allowing the party in Zamfara State to be on the ballot for National Assembly, governorship and State Assembly elections would be injustice of the highest order and must not be allowed.

Marafa said: “I am a loyal and committed party man but my loyalty to the party has limitations especially in a situation where justice is required.

“My loyalty first and foremost is to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, because we must have Nigeria before we can have the Senate or political parties.

“So, my loyalty is first to my God and to my people. APC is not a religion. So, if APC decides that the worst APC candidate is better than the best other candidates from anywhere, I will respect them because they are in politics to field candidates to win elections.

“But that cannot be true to me. So, I would go for the best for my people.

“So, even if it means APC losing in Zamfara State, I don’t give a damn. After all, the crisis that we are in today started with the APC itself.

“The governor (of Zamfara State) is going around whipping up sentiments that INEC should not accept the court judgment delivered in my favour because APC would lose Zamfara if the party did not present candidates for the election which to me is balderdash.”

Marafa however assured that President Muhammadu Buhari would win in the State landslide without Governor Abdulaziz Yari’s input in anyway.

He said, “Thank God President Muhammadu Buhari has broken the political barriers in the political space now. Before, it was the President that needs the governors. Today, the President does not need the governors to win elections; rather, they need him.

“President Buhari is going to win Zamfara. He will stand by the truth. He is pained by what is happening in the state and he would want to see a change of leadership in Zamfara State.

“I have not spoken with him on the issue but I believe that he will share the same view with me. It would be better to have a better person from another party (as governor in Zamfara) than to have a bad person from APC just because you want APC to win.

“Of what benefit is an APC governor that will allow all these killings and corruption in Zamfara to continue?”

He said that external influence in the matter of the state would fail as the people of the state know what is good for them.

The Senator said that they were awaiting the decision of INEC since the electoral body said that it is studying the conflicting judgements on matter.

He accused the state governor of procuring judgement from the state High Court in his (governor’s) favour.