Weeks after the All Progressives Congress (APC) state and local government congresses held across the country, the camp of the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’aziz Yari has been hit with a fresh crisis.
Yari’s camp had in February collapsed into the faction of Senator Kabiru Marafa after the national leadership of the party intervened in a protracted leadership crisis of the party in the state.
The factional crisis between Marafa and the ex-governor was largely responsible for the party’s loss at the 2019 governorship election in the state to the opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with the incumbent governor, Alhaji Bello Matawalle as its flag bearer at the time.
After losing the election, there was relative peace in the party until the defection of Matawalle in June. His defection created a new crack as the old members of the party and the new members failed to agree on the sharing of the party and other positions.
However, the state leadership couldn’t harmonize fragile camps until the time of fresh congress that was to generate a new set of executives.
In a letter dated November 10, addressed to the chairman of INEC, which was sighted by DAILY POST on Saturday, it has rescheduled its congress in Zamfara State for today.
The letter tagged, “Re-Notice for the conduct of state congress” signed by the secretary of the Buni-committee, Senator John James AkpanUdoedehe, said the congress earlier scheduled for November 20, will now hold today, November 13.
On Friday, there was an emergency meeting in Gusau which both camps discussed to an extent Saturday’s congress.
However, Yari’s camp was split into two with one group insisting on pursuing pending litigation on the dissolution of party executives while the second group backed today’s congress.
A member of the opposing group headed by Alhaji Lawal M. Liman told DAILY POST that they were insisting on pursuing their pending litigation, adding that they have lost confidence in today’s congress.
“We cannot participate in the congress because it is prejudice. You know we have our litigation on the dissolution of our executives pending. We will not participate in this congress rather we will pursue our litigation to its logical conclusion. No going back,” he said.
The opposing group vowed to organize their own congress.
“We will have our own congress today and we have mobilized our supporters from the 147 wards of the state for the exercise. Our camp is being led by Sirajo Maikatako, the chairman of the Marafa’s camp,” he said, blaming caretaker chairman, Mai Mala Buni, for the latest crisis in the party.
He added that the majority of the top shots of the Yari’s camp included Mukhtar Shehu Idris (Koguna), Senator Lawali Shuaibu, Senator Tijjani Kaura, Abdulmaliki Zubairu, Abubakar Dantabawa, among others are in support of their camp.
APC CONGRESS: FRESH CRISIS SPLITS YARI’S CAMP IN ZAMFARA
