Chairman of the Senator Kabiru Marafa faction of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, Alhaji Surajo Garba Maikatako, Tuesday faulted the claim that Marafa was suspended from the party.
Reacting to the purported suspension of Marafa by the Yari’s faction of the party in the state, the factional chairman dared members of the Buni-led national committee of APC to “ratify the suspension, at their own peril.”
Maikatako in a statement in Abuja also punctured the claim that Marafa was used by the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state against the APC.
He said, “The recent claim by the Yari’s self-acclaimed APC Chairman in Zamfara State, Hon Lawal Liman Kaura that Senator Kabiru Marafa was working for the PDP is not only untrue but irresponsible and a figment of his imagination.
“If anyone is oblivious to what really happened in Zamfara, it is on record that it was you and your master Yari, who out of desperation conducted parallel primaries in an apparent violation of the constitution of our great party and INEC guidelines on primary elections. Unfortunately, you later went to court to legalise your illegality. It was the same legal battle you initiated that denied the party all its elective seats in the state.
“It will be recalled that, since 2018, Yari and his group were expelled by the state chapter of the APC during the party’s congresses when they unleashed terror against members of APC, they refused to obey the constitutional provisions of the party and the country.
“Let me at this juncture, sound a strong warning to Kaura to henceforth stop parading himself as the state party chairman, and to the Gov Buni’s committee not to play with fire.
“Was it not the same Kaura who while acting the script designed by Yari that was shown on national television with Yari seated by his side and all the other Yari anointed candidates shamelessly announcing results of primary elections that you illegally conducted in 2019?
“A caricature and charade primary election done in flagrant abuse of the party’s constitution and flouting all the known laid down rules and procedures?
“How can Kaura, who was an aspirant of the party for the state House of Assembly election and at the same time the state chairman of Yari faction of the APC be the one collating and announcing results of primary election conducted by themselves? The tape is there and we will replay it for everyone to see again.”
Maikatako also challenged the legality of the Buni-led committee to conduct fresh membership registration exercise, insisting that “it is diversionary.”
According to him, “Zamfara State chapter of APC stands with our leader Senator Marafa in everything he said about the Buni committee.
“It is apparent that Buni committee has not achieved anything, has not reconciled anybody in any chapter of any state and the crisis in APC has worsened even more than it was when he took over.”
He further stated that, “Zamfara State APC under Marafa has always been loyal to the party, will always abide by the party’s constitution and act within the confines of the law, but will not tolerate any act of injustice.”
