Yari not backing Zamfara ADC gov candidate — APC chieftain

An All Progressives Congress chieftain, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has denied allegations that former Zamfara State Governor Abdul’aziz Yari is sponsoring the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate, Bilyaminu Yusuf Shinkafi.

Shinkafi described the allegation as false, accusing political opponents of spreading misinformation to damage Yari’s reputation following his appointment as Director-General of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.

In a statement on Saturday, he said, “I wish to debunk the fake news on social media that Senator Abdul’aziz Yari is sponsoring the ADC governorship candidate in Zamfara State, Bilyaminu Yusuf Shinkafi.

“It is mischievous, false, handwork of mischief makers and political adversaries of the former governor.”

Shinkafi explained that the ADC candidate was related to Yari by marriage, describing him as a cousin of the senator’s wife, who is a daughter of the late Umaru Shinkafi.

According to him, Bilyaminu had sought to contest for the Zamfara North Senatorial District seat on the APC platform but was not cleared by the party’s screening committee ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said the politician subsequently joined the ADC to pursue his governorship ambition.

Shinkafi alleged that some political actors were unhappy with Yari’s appointment to lead President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign and were using the allegation to attack him.

He said, “It is obvious that some political actors are not happy that President Tinubu appointed Yari his Presidential Campaign Council’s Director General and ventilate their grievances by spreading fake news and carrying out a campaign of calumny against him.”

He urged Nigerians to disregard the allegation, expressing confidence in Yari’s commitment to Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Shinkafi also denied that the eight suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly who recently resigned from the APC were political allies of Yari.

The lawmakers are Aliyu Ango Kagara, Ibrahim Tukur Bakura, Faruk Musa Dosara, Bashir Abubakar Masama, Muktaru Nasiru Kaura, Nasiru Abdullahi, Bashar Bello and Bashar Ali.

Shinkafi said the lawmakers were suspended by the Assembly on February 26, 2024, over allegations including gross misconduct, conspiracy, mischief, contempt of the House and holding an unauthorised sitting in violation of its standing orders.

He said five of the lawmakers were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections before defecting to the APC, arguing that their political backgrounds did not support claims that they were Yari’s allies.

According to him, efforts by Yari and other party stakeholders to resolve the dispute had failed, despite attempts to persuade the Assembly leadership to lift the suspension.

Shinkafi said he had advised Yari to approach Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal to resolve the matter amicably before Yari planned to defect to the APC.

“In my contribution, I urged Senator Yari to approach Governor Lawal as he planned to defect to APC to amicably resolve the matter to foster peace and unity in the party. Sadly, all efforts made were abortive,” he said.

He added that Yari had provided financial assistance to the suspended lawmakers, whose salaries, allowances and other entitlements had allegedly been withheld since their suspension.

“In his magnanimity as a compassionate leader, Yari gave financial support to the suspended legislators and continued to broker peace to those involved in the matter behind the scene,” Shinkafi said.

He appealed to Lawal and the Assembly leadership to find a political solution to the dispute and address the lawmakers’ outstanding entitlements.