From Maiharaji Altine, Gusau
A top notcher of the All progressive Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi has berated supporters of former Governor Abdulaziz Yari for boycotting the ward congress conducted last Saturday in the State.
Addressing a press conference in Gusau on Sunday, Shinkafi said, the failure of Yari’s supporters to participate in the congress was an indicator that, the former Governor has politically lost relevance in the state.
“He debunked claim by Yari that, there was court order restraining the conduct of the congress which was the reason why, he and his supporters boycotted the congress.
“There was no court injunction that stopped the party from conducting the congress in the state”.
“The former Governor was only trying to dodge the congress because he knew what would happen if he and his supporters have attended the congress”.
Reacting to pararrel congresses that were said to be conducted in the state last Saturday, Shinkafi said, “As far as we are concerned, there was nothing like pararrel congresses”.
“There was only one congress that took place and it was conducted and supervised by the national officers of the party who were sent from the headquarters”.
He debunked reports from online media, that parallel congresses were conducted in the state, stressing that, “the era of analogue politics is over. We are in a digital world. Fabricating news is over”.
“Our ward congresses is genuine and constitutional. There was no parallel ward congress in the state, a part from the one organized by the recognized party structure in the State”.
Shinkafi also said that, Senator Kabiru Marafa’s faction which was said to have conducted a pararrel congress did not exist.
“As par as we are concerned, there was a reconciliation where we all agreed to burry our differences and work together for the progress of the party”.
“Then how can anybody come out now to tell us that, the party is factionalised”,
He stressed that former Governor Yari has held joint reconciliatory meetings with most of the members of the defunct G8 in Kaduna and Abuja where everybody agreed to work in unison.
He wondered why should Marafa bring the issue of pararrel congress, nine months after the reconciliation.
“How manage, just within 24 hours Kabiru Marafa’s faction resurfaced and conducted a congress? He is playing with the intelligence of their uneducated followers”. Concluded Shinkafi.
It cauld be recalled that, the publicity committee chairman of the Yari’s faction, Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji called on Yari’s supporters to shun the ward congress.
In a letter Birnin Magaji said, “You know, we have court order that stopped the party congresses in the state, pending the determination of the court on the dissolution of the state party executives by the National Caretaker Committee of the APC”.
“Our leader, Alhaji Abdul’aziz Yari has directed all APC members in the state, under the APC caretaker committee led by Alhaji Lawal Liman to boycott the ward, local government and state congresses organised by Governor Matawalle’s APC faction holding today, Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.”
