Revelation: How Zamfara political problems started – Interviews

…Abdullaziz Yari best for Nigeria after Tinubu – Murtala

…Say’s Zamfara problems started when Mamuda Shinkafi took over from Yerima Bakura

By Idibia Gabriel

Back then in 1999, it was Yerima Bakura, the former Executive Governor of Zamfara State, and perhaps the first Governor to have given his deputy, Mamuda Shinkafi, the opportunity to become Governor after his two tenure in office.

Yerima Bakura, after JB Yakubu, contested with a strongest backing and support based from Marafan Sokoto, the former Nigeria Presidential candidate, late Alh. Umaru Shinkafi, tagged “Choice 1992”.
At that time, Yerima Bakura, who contested against Bala Mande, from Zurmi area of Zamfara state, was the one most of the current Zamfara top shop politicians emerged as trainees as well as their political godfather.

In this extensive interview with sons of the soil, including former LGA Council Secretary, Murtala Shinkafi, it was allegedly revealed that the problems of Zamfara State started when Mamuda Shinkafi took over from Yerima as Governor.

“And that was the beginning of the problems in Zamfara state. What do i mean — that, that was when we started having two house in Zamfara and two political camps”, he restated.

According to him, the problem started when Yerima’s political boys and elites believe that Mamuda Shinkafi was not doing the right things. And the cabals who caged Mamuda, instead of mending the fends, started instigating serious fights against Yerima.

“I think there were so many warnings to Mamuda not to fight Yerima, because I think Yerima was the first to finish as Governor and handover to his deputy as Governor. But the bad people caged him and made him not to do the right things as Governor. Mamuda can give contract to someone and later turn it to something that he feel like doing”, Murtala stated.

“So, about one to two years of Mamuda in office as Governor, the fight manifested seriously, he started changing party and defected to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the then ANPP, that Zamfara state was known for.

“And that was when Abdulllaziz, the former Zamfara Governor, too, began to have a good chance in ANPP. That time Abdullaziz Yari was in House of Rep under ANPP, and became the flagbearer of the party when Mamuda decamped to PDP. Remember that Abdullaziz was married to Mamuda Shinkafi daughter, so Mamuda was his in-law.

“Mamuda was therefore contesting under PDP for the second tenure and Abdullaziz later defeated him in 2011, and became a Governor of Zamfara state. Surprisingly, the same issue that happen between Mamuda and Yerima repeated itself as another cabal came up and caged Abdullaziz.

“Remember that no any big shot politician was following Abdullaziz apart from Yerima Bakura. And Remember that Abdullaziz was their party Secretary and later chairman in Zamfara state, and therefore know the party politics and those that matters in the 14 local governments of the state.

“Under Yerima administrations, contracts came through Abdullaziz to anyone he want to help. Later on Abdullaziz boys started doing what Mamuda boys did to Yerima, In which to me, is not fair. In politics there’s what we called “Amanna” period for someone that put you on the ladder.

“Abdullaziz was a nice person and man of his words. He only has this delaying attitude. If he want to do something, it takes him a long while before making his decision. So you need to be patient with Abdullaziz otherwise you people will have problem. He can keep you waiting for hours before attending to you, even if he’s the one that called you for that thing”, Murtala added.

“Everybody with his life style”, he said, adding that “When Abdullaziz became the Governor, the poor sacrificed their lives for him, because that election of 2011, was very serious like war.

“Also note that Governor Mamuda and his commissioner of justice, were hard and brutal to those who wanted to follow Abdullaziz, as some of them were arrested and them taken to prison or detention, and all kinds of embarrassment, before Abdullaziz won. So is bad to be arresting people over power. You make them more popular when it comes to election.

“So the ANPP’s Abdullaziz defeated Mamuda. Later on, an issue came up between Abdullaziz and Yerima when the former almost finished his last tenure over successor, which if I were the one, it won’t be a problem to me.

“When Abdullaziz was the Governor, Yerima became a senator for 8 years. When Abdullaziz finish his 8 years as Governor, Yerima decided to drop from Senate because they came from the same political zone, I don’t know what was really in his mind then. Perhaps they’ve that understanding within themselves.

“Problems started when the person Abdullaziz brought as his candidate and successor does not go down well with the people of Zamfara. He brought his former commissioner of finance, and that was where the problem started. He has no single human public relation with the people.

“For most Zamfara people, the Abdullaziz candidate was a wrong one. He was arrogant to the people because he has money and believe in himself alone. When Abdullaziz defeated Mamuda in 2015, for his second tenure. The mistake of Mamuda was to again leave PDP and return back to ANPP/APC, after he was defeated twice by Abdullaziz.

“Again Mamuda was given senate ticket for 2015, when Mamuda supposed to come back to APC, in 2015, when he was given senate ticket of his zone to allows Abdullaziz finish second tenure in 2019, as Governor base on negotiation, but he refused and contested in 2015 in PDP. Because at that time there was this negotiation, but he rejected and contested Governor under PDP, and lost.

“Last one was his leaving PDP for APC in 2019, which was one of the reasons he lost in 2019 and could not complete his second tenure till now. This is because in 2019 people have gang-up again Abdullaziz candidate in APC, That was when Zamfara people, the elites called G8, with all of them looking for Governor.. For example Mamud Shinkafi, Dauda Lawal the current Governor was among them, Senator Kabiru Marafa, Minister of defense, Aminu Jaji and former Perm Sec Fed Ministry of Work was among. That was when they had parallel congresses:

“Senator kabiru Marafa do his own congress and Abdullaziz did his own all under APC, when same party divided into two. Abdullaziz do their own primary elections. That was when Adams Oshiomole was the party’s national chairman. They shouldn’t have allowed parallel congresses and primaries. So when there was no legitimate primaries you don’t have a candidate”, he lamented.

Murtala continue that” So, they refused to reconciled their problems prior before the general election. I was telling Mamuda in particular to come to PDP, that with him there, Matawalle will never have his way because this infighting will make another party to take the Governorship candidate. They were all there. Matawalle, as you know, had nothing and had no followers that time, not even vote buying. If one prominent person was there in PDP, Matawalle couldn’t have gotten it.

So when Abdullaziz commissioner of finance was declared winner of the election under APC in 2019, the same candidates went to court and started demanding for their mandate.

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“They went to court and collected it, on ground that there was no proper primary elections. That was how Matawalle emerged from nowhere as Governor, as an accidental Governor.

“And in 2023, I saw a similarity and scenario of the same situation repeated itself in APC because all of them refused to believe that as candidate you’ve something to sell to people in your community or entire state as a whole so why shall I stay on someone’s sympathy.

“They still gangs up against themselves in APC, fighting themselves as Matawalle defected back to the party. When he defected to APC, Abdullaziz and coy gangs up trying to reject Matawalle even when he decamp as a Governor. Fighting continue making Matawalle not to be focused on his development plans. It took him so long, and this makes him to lost control, because he don’t know where to start from because he was just House of Representative representing Bakura Marado.

“So he knew only that extend of Rep. politics and not materialistic politics ways in LGs, of going here and there. At times, he carry a wrong persons that cannot deliver anything. That was how he started given his appointment.

“Even when Matawalle and Abdullaziz were reconciled to work together, Abdullaziz henchmen still did not want to follow Matawalle because of his greed and hardly released any contract worth N100 million to political supporters.

“Let me be honest to you, Dauda Lawal has no influence of a politics in Zamafa. He come to that place because of wrong doing of Matawalle. Because people would not have voted him, if APC united themselves. They’re all Yetima boys. Matawalle was former commissioner for LG. Abdullaziz was secretary and chairman of political party and was in house of reps.

“He can never become a Governor if Mamuda is doing it alone. Look for person who people wanted, drop your personal interest. There’s nothing Abdullaziz want in this world God has not given him.

“So let Mamuda look for Abdullaziz now since Yerima has left active politics as an elder. Let them calm down and rethink and try to move Zamfara forward. So let him reconcile themselves. Politics is all about give and take. They should not allow APC to be taken unaware in 2027.

“History should not repeat itself in 2027. If they had reconcile themselves, the Zamfara insecurity will also reduce because their attention is diverted from it. After your 8 years, always leave it open for choice of people’s candidate instead of planting someone for them. Most Politicians who did that did not ended well till today. Leave it open for electorates to decide. Abdullaziz is a hero and fighter in politics. As a political father in Zamfara, Yerima has eased out on agewise.

“Abdullaziz is now to come out for presidential election. Is a presidential material now. We don’t have anyone aside him again. Yerima is aging. And let Abdullaziz unit his boys in Zamafa state for Governorship material. Aminu Jaji is his boy, he was chairman when Abdullaziz was Governor. I serve Aminu in LG Secretariat for 3 years. He was chairman, I was the Secretary of the …LG. Jaji is a material. He has followers and knows all the LG chairmen then. He help the society. Let Abdullaziz speak out and give Zamafa candidates they want to move forward.
“If they continue with infighting, Dauda Lawal of PDP will get second tenure because in-house fight pushes members to go on protest vote for another party candidate. And what happened to Matawalle will happen again in 2027. And the state will continue to suffer politically., economically, and insecurity wise.

In an interview with Hon. Salisu Isah Dangulbi, ex- chsirman of Maru LG Zamfara, also in interview expressly stated the Abdulkaziz Yari was far better than the current regine in all ramifications.

“LGA under Abdullaziz regime according to. Hon Salisu Isah Dangulbi, who was also former chairman ALGON, Zamfara state also stated that “In fact there’s a wide cap between the adminstration of Abdullaziz Yari and the current one. The former Governor did not deny us our right of given us monthly allocation even though there was joint account between state and LG.

“Setting amount goes to all the LG each months to carter for the problems of agriculture a days to day activities of in LG and security. Abdullaziz Yari recruited 500,000 CJTF, for each LG, and we the LG chairman were the ones that use to give them helping hands in terms of allowances, fueling their vehicles for the security ofbiur people even though they get their allocations.

“Village and district heads have direct access to us anytime there’s security problems in our LG whether about to happen or is happening, and we call Governor or security agencies for quick responses and it was working. Abdullaziz constructed all township roads to our 14 LG headquarters. He sold fertilizer to farmers at subsidise rate of N1000, some of them for free to boast agricultural activities. We use the money given to us to also renovate roads constructed and maintained them. I renovated so many roads in my LG. pipe born waters inline of UNICEF supports and directive.

“This present government covers himself and don’t listen to people. During out time, bandits stays away in bushes, but now they enters LG Hqtes and kill. Few days ago it happened in my LG.
“The current government said it will not reconcile with bandits but its not taking the war to their door step.”, he said

He therefore advised that with LG autonomy, money should be going to LG but no kobo is given to them now in Zamfara LG. So FG should be given them their money direct. The joint account is a big problems.

“One thing I forgot to tell you about both the two past Government of that of Abdulaziz Yari, now Senator and that of Bello Muhammed Matawallen Maradun is that they’re better than this present Government of Dauda Lawan in terms of security’, he said.