The former civilian Governor of Zamfara state Ahmad Rufai Sani said, the single-handed decision of fixing candidates for various political posts by former Governor Yari in 2019 was the main reason why other group of eight aspirants stood their ground to object the decision.
Yarima who spoke to BBC Hausa service via their Saturday programme “Gane mani hanya” said, contrary to some insinuations, Yari has no issue with him, but he does with the other 2019 gubernatorial aspirants.
“As a leader, I have tried to play a neutral role and refused to support any of the factions during the 2019 APC crises in Zamfara”.
“That singular decision of Yari of showing his interest on who emerged as Zamfara Governor in 2019 caused the formation of what we called group of (8)”.
“During the 2019 crises, the national headquarters of the APC had rejected what Yari has done in terms of fixing candidates for respective elective positions. When President Muhammad Buhari came to Zamfara for campaign in 2019 he also objected the arrangement made by Yari, and it was made public”.
“You can ask the people of Zamfara whether Yarima has played any role in supporting any part of the crises in 2019”.
Yarima said after the 2019 election, the crise has softened because there is a seating Governor in the party, and he is now in charge, and he is going to contest for the office of the Governor for the second time, so it may not be possible for someone within the same party to aspire for the post of Governor.
“We have a standing rule in Zamfara when we have a seating Governor, and he is due for the second term, no one can aspire for his post”.
“The party rule says the seating Governor is the leader of the party. People like us are now elders of the party. We have no option than to support the Governor because the constitution of the party has empowered him to lead. But despite that, he knew the status of everyone”.
On why, he (Yarima) has snot been talking on security challenges facing the state, Yarima said as someone who understands the dynamics of governance, it would not be rational for him to be coming to the media and be talking of insecurity.
“I have access to the President anytime I want to advise him on security matters, I have that express access to him. If I want to see the head of the Nigerian army I can see him and advise him on security matters,, so it would not be proper for me to be discussing security matters on the media platforms.
“When I was in the Senate I had been standing on the floor to raise the concern of Zamfara people” Yarima added.
Yarima also connected the security challenges bedeviling the North to in sufficiency of the security personnel and poor motivation.
He cited references with the Ethiopia where the country with a population of (5) million people has about (1) million army, noting that as big as Nigeria with a population of over (200) million people has less than (1) million soldiers and as low as (300,000) police officers.
On how to end the social insecurity confronting the state, Yarima advocated for the revival of community policing and insisted that if the government increases the take home pay of the security agencies and provided them with the modern arms and secure welfare for those who lost their lives people would be able to join security outlets and defend themselves.
By Managing Editor
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The Zamfara state Governorship election petition tribunal is to hold its inaugural sitting in Sokoto on Friday the 29th of June 2023.
This is contained in a letter of invitation signed by the Secretary to the tribunal Salihu Umar Esq.
Former Governor of Zamfara Bello Matawalle had through his counsel Usman O. Sule dragged Dauda Lawal, INEC and PDP to the tribunal challenging the declaration of Dauda Lawal as the elected Governor of Zamfara State.
Matawalle us challenging the non admissibility of the election result collated from Maradun by the state returning officer, non conduct of election in the four remaining Registration Areas of Birnin Magaji LG. as well as over voting in several poling units across the state.
He is praying for the tribunal to declare him winner of the 2023 gubernatorial poll having scoring over (98,000) votes in Maradun as against over (20,000) recorded as the score for his party.
Mr. Usman Sule (SAN) is to lead six other Senior Advocates of Nigeria, inclusive of Prof. Maiyaki in defending the petition filed by Governor Bello Matawalle.
Zamfara state government, through one of its spokesmans Mustapha Jafar Kaura has declared that the administration of Dauda Lawal will not enter into reconciliation with the armed bandits
Jafar who stated this via interview with the BBC Hausa insisted that Governor Dauda Lawal is saddened by the recent armed bandit tragedy that befallen the people of Janbako and Gora Namaye in Maradun local government area of the state.
He said apart from a message of condolences, the Governor had asked the security agencies to take the most decisive measures of address the deadly situation.
It could be recalled that on Saturday morning some armed bandits laid ambush on some members of a vigilante group and killed over twenty of them while they were on their way to offer reinforcement to the people of Sikkida community who were under attack by the bandits.
They also abducted over (30) women from Janbako community in the same Maradun local government council area.
Ten of the women escaped from captivity and while the police are insisting that they championed their rescue the locals said, the abductees freed themselves without the help of police or any security outfits.
Suspected bandits in their large number had launched deadly attacks on the people of Raka and Filin Gawa community of Tangaza local government area of Sokoto State.
The attack which resulted in the killing of over thirty persons left scores of others with critical injuries.
Apart from the number of those killed, four houses and some vehicles were also set ablaze by the bandits.
A source said, the bandits had been putting pressure on the locals to pay money in terms of fine before they were allowed to go to their farms.
“People of Tangaza and neighboring villages had been paying money to these bandits and to an extent that some communities such as Azam had to fled their homes because they had no money to pay to these bandits, and they had been putting pressure on them through constant threat of attacks and invasions.
Three months back they had invaded a village under Gwadabawa and rustled over (1,000) assorted livestock.
The source added that many communities had been under the rule of the armed bandits for sometimes now because the government could not do anything to save the people in the hand of these bandits.
The Sokoto State police Spokesperson ASP Ahmad Rufai has confirmed the incident via an interview with the BBC Hausa service on Monday morning.