Kabiru Marafa , the All Progressive Congress Senator representing Zamfara Central Senatorial district in the National Assembly has insisted that his party did not conduct valid primaries in the state
Speaking to State House correspondents, on Sunday, Marafa faulted the claims by the Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari that primaries were conducted in the state.
Marafa was reacting to the Court of Appeal ruling which set aside the judgment of the Zamfara State High Court, which allowed APC to field candidates in the 2019 governorships and state Assembly elections in Zamfara State.
Marafa and 129 others had appealed to the Sokoto based appellate court which gave a judgment that rattled the APC, on Monday March 25, 2019 and which nullified the party’s victory in the just concluded governorship and state assembly elections.
“You said the primaries conducted by the governor. Are governors supposed to conduct primaries?
“The truth is there was no primaries in Zamfara, the world knows, Allah knows, the Angels knows, everybody knows”
For him,politics is not all about personal benefits” The answer is ‘no’. Is it about me? The answer is no. Is it about Yari? The answer is no. It is about the people of Zamfara State. If Zamfara people stands to benefit from that ruling, glory be to God. If Zamfara people are going to lose from that ruling, may God reverse it”
Speaking on the way forward, Marafa said “ It depends on what our opponents feel”
He noted that it was their constitutional right to appeal the judgement if they so wish
“ The are constitutionally, legally allowed to do so. If they do not, so be it. Before, they were dragging us, but we are now dragging them. We are not pleading with them not to go to the Supreme Court.
“The most important thing that Nigerians need to know is that we are not the aggressors as far as these problems are concerned. We are defending ourselves, defending the people of Zamfara State.
“So, if there was never a day the aggressors called us for a meeting or anything that we said ‘no’.
“So, the issue like I said, is not about Marafa. If it is about Marafa, maybe I would have been a senator-elect by now.
Marafa insisted that they are fighting for the ordinary citizens of Zamfara State, whose lives and properties are being lost day in, day out.
“The issue is about the comfort of the ordinary man, who doesn’t depend on the government for anything. All he needs is for him to sleep well, go to farm in the morning and come back home to meet his family.”
He applauded the President of the Court of Appeal and others members as well as judgement of the appellant court .” For doing an excellent job”
“You know, we were quite apprehensive from the beginning, fearing that we might not get justice. But they have done justice to that case and they have made judiciary proud and the people of Nigeria proud. If that has not been done, I was afraid where we were heading to”
He also faulted the party’s national Chairman and members of the Working Committee for insisting on fielding candidates in the election when it was clear that no primaries were conducted
“Is the national leadership of the APC equal to Nigeria? The answer is ‘no’. We are talking about the laws of Nigeria and not talking about personalities. No matter how big you are, you cannot circumvent the law.
“You cannot break the law by your right hand and then use your left hand to say you want to amend it.
“You cannot commit a criminality then you will approach the court and say ‘court legalise it for me’. You cannot commit criminality and then hide under the umbrella of party and now say that ‘because the party is going to lose’. Who is party?
The people has the party. It is not the Prince in Zamfara, it is not the stones, it is not the land, it is not the roads, it is not the wells or anything in Zamfara State, it is the people of Zamfara State that have the party.
“So, if the people are disenfranchised, if the people are cheated, we all have a duty to rise up above party lines.
“I’m a Muslim and in my Quran, Allah said Himself that He forbids injustice to Himself. Then He said He forbids injustice amongst us, His creations.”
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
