APC crisis: Sen. Marafa reveals anti-Oshiomohle protest sponsor

Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa has alleged that Zamfara Governor, Abdulaziz Yari was behind Thursday’s protest against the All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

Hundreds of proteststers stormed the state secretariat in Gusau, the state capital.

The demonstrators declared that Oshiomhole was behind the crisis in the State chapter of the party.
Marafa, chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (downstream), in a statement, noted that the protesters were mobilised by Yari following his inability to impose his loyalists on the party.

“Yari and his co- travelers are wrong and Comrade Oshiomhole is right as far as the issues in the party are concerned,” he said.

Marafa insisted that primaries were not conducted in Zamfara state and that there was no consensus either.

“There was a court order that says all parties should not take any step that will render useless the litigation before it.

“The party under the able leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole respected the order and said all parties in the crisis should hands off.

“The party and its leadership should be commended for respecting the law, a foundation upon which APC was built.

“Two, when the committee of the NWC came to conduct the primary in Zamfara, violent orchestrated by Yari’s people erupted, the committee was forced to cancel the election. This is also a valid thing.

“The position taken by the Governor that primaries should be conducted by the executives in his camp was irresponsible, contemptuous and height of lawlessness.

“The crux of the matter is that there was no election and there was no consensus in Zamfara. So, we are commending Comrade Oshiomhole and INEC for respecting the court order”, he said.

Marafa added that the money Yari allegedly spent to organise the protest should have been channelled towards securing the release of 17 persons including two young girls kidnapped in Dauran, Jangebe, Magami and other locations in Zamfara.