Zamfara 2023: Yari, Marafa Lose Out As APC Inaugurates State Chairmen

Factions of the All Progressives Congress in several states that are loyal to some ministers and senators are set to lose out as the APC has perfected plans to inaugurate state chairmen loyal to the governors at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja today.

Some of the losers include former Zamfara state governor, Abdulaziz Abubakar Yar, Senator Kabir Garba Marafa and former Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State.

Others who lost out include the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo; and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

Several state chapters had been divided into factions due to the controversial congresses conducted late last year. However, the national leadership of the party is now set to inaugurate chairmen who are loyal to the governors except in Kano State.

According to the reports, the chairmen from at least 30 states had already arrived in Abuja ahead of their inauguration.

The report said the party headquarters on Blantyre Street, Wuse 2, Abuja, shaped with heavy police presence around the secretariat. The arrangement, it was learnt, was put in place to prevent any breakdown of law and order especially if aggrieved elements stage protests.

Some of the states witnessing crises include Zamfara, Osun, Ogun, Kwara, Kebbi, Kano, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bauchi. In some of these states, factions have gone to court, seeking to be recognised as the authentic one.

The Zamfara State APC Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Yusuf Idris, told news men that they were the only faction invited by the national headquarters of the party for the inauguration.

Idris said, “We are already in Abuja for the inauguration as invited by the national headquarters of our great party, the APC”.

“I have been telling people that we have no faction in Zamfara state as both former Governor Yari and Senator Kabiru Marafa have been saying.

“Their factions are not recognised by the national headquarters because they were not registered members of the party. They refused to revalidate their membership cards as directed by the national headquarters, as such, they have no business in the APC.”