Gov. Yari pledges to remain in APC in spite of crisis

Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara has pledged not to dump All Progressives Congress (APC) in spite intense pressure from his supporters due to the crisis within the party in the state.

The governor made his position known on Friday after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

Yari, who is the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), said he preferred to remain with the ruling party and fight all forms of injustice than defecting to another party.

He stated that his supporters were aggrieved over the position of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) on the conduct of the party’s primaries in the state.

The APC National Working Committee panel sent to Zamfara for the conduct of the APC primaries had failed to organise the exercise, citing security challenges.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, said the APC would not be allowed to field candidates for National Assembly, governorship and state assembly in the 2019 general elections.

The INEC letter, which was signed by its acting Secretary, Okechukwu Ndeche, explained that its decision was hinged on the fact that the party had failed to conduct primaries for National Assembly, governorship and state assembly before the expiration of its Oct. 7 deadline.

It said that the party had run foul of the provisions of sections 87 and 31 of the Electoral Act 2010.

But, Oshiomhole faulted the electoral commission, saying the APC had conducted primaries in Zamfara, as such has candidates for all elective positions during the 2019 general elections.

Yari explained that this development had caused frustration among his supporters, adding that he had handed over the results of the primaries conducted in the state to the President at this meeting.

The governor also warned the national leadership of the party not to present any list that did not emanate from the primaries conducted before the expiration of the deadline for the primaries in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state and his counterpart from Ogun, Ibikunle Amosun also met with President Buhari at the State House, on Friday.

Amosun, who was also rumoured to dump APC over the outcome of the party’s primaries in Ogun, however, declined comment on the outcome of his meeting with the president.

NAN observed that the three governors, who visited the presidential villa, namely Yari, Ganduje and Amosun, joined the president to perform the Friday’s 2-raka’at prayer at the Aso Rock Mosque.