Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State has insisted that his faction of the All Progressive Congress APC, will produce the Governorship candidate in the March, 2nd Governorship election
Yari’s position is hinged on ruling by Zamfara State High Court, validating the congress conducted by his faction of the APC, in the state
This is however coming on the heels of another ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja affirming the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to refuse the party’s candidates in the election following the lack of compliance with the guidelines established by the party for that purpose.
But Yari, while speaking with I State House corespondents in Abuja on Friday, thanked God “for answering our prayers , seeking for justice.”
Yari went down memory lane to recount how in October last year, the Resident Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission INEC had witnessed the party primaries conducted to produce its Governorship candidate
“You remember sometimes in October, we have been struggling whether there was primaries or not in Zamfara state with INEC, even though we believed that we had undergone all the processes and today, God did it once again for us by giving us victory.
“The court accepted that Zamfara APC conducted its primaries and based on the witnesses presented in court.
“So, we Zamfara people, are happy with the outcome and we thank the department of justice and the judges who stood on their ground to ensure that justice is granted.”
He also debunked claims that the judgement had come late as many other cases were yet to be decided in court even as the elections approach.
Yari stated: “It is not too late. Some of us that were given opportunity or encouraged by the president to go and seek for justice some of them are still in court. So, this victory for today is not late,
“I can tell you in the entire Nigeria, Zamfara is one of the states that APC is sure of 90 percent. if I decide today not to go back to Zamfara, you will see what will happen on 16th of February because people are waiting.
“How can a system which has been running since 1999 and just overnight you want to scrap them aside in order for them not to participate in the election. That is unfair.”
He affirmed that there were two positions enunciated by the Zamfara court judgement, explaining: “But let me also thank INEC because there are two conflicting statements, one national, one state. The state INEC went round and conducted and supervised as allowed by law. Unfortunately the INEC at the national did not wait to receive the report of the Zamfara state INEC represented by the REC.
“And they went ahead to give the pronouncement but anyway INEC came to court to say they witnessed the APC primary election and we secured certified true copy from INEC and presented to the court.
“That I think is the document that supported the court in their processes to pass the judgment. So, we thank God for giving us this victory and we attribute this to justice.
“Some people have been saying that the reign of Governor Abdulaziz Yari is over but I believe the almighty God can give power to whosoever he desires to give it to and he will sustain the power for whomsoever he desires to have it.
On the seeming conflicting judgements from the two courts, he also explained: There are two judgments, one party has gone to court here in Abuja seeking that they should be given right to write names and submit to INEC and the judge said ‘what madness, what is the use of INEC? We court judges and the Act section 87 is very clear, what the party said they were looking for, they have done primaries in consensus.”
He said the party which went to Abuja Court did not have any legal consensus.
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
