Senator Marafa's supporters denied entry

Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to Senator Kabiru Marafa of Zamfara State were denied access to the Eagles Square, venue of the partys national convention.

Addressing journalists outside the venue on Saturday, June 23, 2018, publicity secretary of the group, Muhammad Bello Bakyasuwa said they were duly elected during the APC ward and state congresses in Zamfara.

He appealed to the newly elected APC to recognize their faction as the legitimate APC leadership in Zamfara State.

"We belong to the legitimate APC faction in Zamfara State. The APC faction under the State Chairman, Alhaji Surajo Garba Mai Katako Gusau. We were elected in the parallel APC state congresses of 5th, 12th and 19th May 2018 in Zamfara State," he said.

"We are here in Abuja to express our happiness, support and solidarity with our party over the national convention holding today to produce new national leaders for us.

"So, we are in Abuja to witness this convention as Zamfara State National Convention Delegates and Supporters of Senator Kabir Garba Marafa, CON, for Governor of Zamfara State in 2019 and also supporters of President Muhammed Buhari for second term in 2019.

"We are here with all our delegates and over one thousand supporters but we have been denied entry into the Eagle Square. So, we hereby appeal to our new national party leaders to be fair and recognize our faction as the legitimate APC leadership in Zamfara State.

"Our faction fulfilled all the requirements or contesting party positions. While the Abdullaziz Yari faction didn’t fulfil the requirements. The Governor Yari faction didn’t pay for the forms for contesting elections to party positions but our own faction fulfilled all the conditions including the payment for all the nomination forms."

The factional leader claimed that the group was stopped from accessing the venue due to inscriptions on their shirts.

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"As you can see we are the majority, but the security operatives stopped us from entering the venue of the convention. Right now we don't know where our chairman is. We will take appropriate action to seek redress. We are duly and legitimate elected executives of APC in Zamfara state. They stopped us because some of our supporters were wearing T- shirts with the photograph of our leader, Senator Kabir Garba Marafa.

"We wish to restate with serious emphasis the resolve of our faction to pursue all legitimate means of ensuring that justice and fairness is done to us by giving us our due recognition as the legitimate APC leadership in Zamfara State," he added.

Former Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomhole,was earlier declared national chairman of the APC following the withdrawal of intent of other candidates.