Zamfara: APC expels Yari, Shuaibu, Marafa, others

…Says ex-Gov, Dep National chairman responsible for its electoral misfortune

…Accuses Sen Marafa, ex-Gov Yari’s dep, Rep Jaji of engaging in anti-party activities

Mathew Dadiya and Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, has been expelled from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for scuttling the party’s chances in Zamfara State.

Also expelled is the Deputy National Chairman (North) of the APC, Lawali Shuaibu, for conniving with Yari to sabotage the National Working Committee of the party during the botched primary Elections of the state.

In a statement jointly signed by the State Chairman, Alhaji Sirajo Garba Maikatako and the Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Bello Bakyasuwa, on Monday, the party said that the decision to expel the former governor and the Deputy National Chairman was taken at the end of an emergency meeting held in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.

According to the state chapter of the APC, the expulsion was sequel to the electoral misfortune, Yari and his co-travelers exposed the party to in Zamfara State.

The party recalled how the former governor frustrated its efforts to conduct primaries last year, thus laying the foundation for the electoral misfortune that befell it in the state.

“After reviewing the outing of our party in the last general election and the outcome of the Supreme Court Judgement, we hereby dismiss the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari and the Deputy National Chairman Sen Lawali Shuaibu from the APC.

“Following this development, we are urging them to immediately surrender all the belongings of the party in their possession including funds.

“Yari and his boys scuttled the efforts of our national headquarters to conduct primaries on the 3rd and 7th of October 2018. His nefarious activities led to the death of six persons and over 200 others were injured,” the party said.

The party said the expulsion would be communicated to its national headquarters for appropriate action by Thursday when the Sallah break will end.

The Zamfara State chapter of the party also expelled the Senator Kabiru Marafa, representing Zamfara Central senatorial district and the immediate past deputy governor of Zamfara State, Ibrahim Wakkala as well as Aminu Jaji, a federal lawmaker representing Kauran Namoda/ Burning Magaji Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

The trio were given the booth for offences bordering on anti- party activities.

To that effect, a letter titled “Notice of expulsion from party” dated June 3, 2019 was forwarded to the office of the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, in Abuja on Monday.

The party’s Publicity Secretary in Zamfara State, Shehu Isah, in a statement, said the party took the decision to wield the big stick at a meeting of the State Executive Committee in Gusau, on Sunday.

He said: “The provision of Article 21 (A) ii and (D) v of the party’s constitution was activated against the three members for violation of the constitutional provision and engaging in acts inimical to the interest of the party.

“Consequently, a resolution was passed expelling all of them from the All Progressives Congress.”

Isah said the action of the party executive was backed by provision of the party constitution which recommend that any member of the party who files an action in court against the party or any of its officials without first exhausting the avenues for redress stands expelled.

Recall that Marafa drew the state APC to court over the conduct of the governorship primary election last year.

The party said that the constitution of the party forbids appeal against such expulsion but that such Appeal can only be entertained upon the withdrawal of the court case.

“We are therefore by this notice informing the general public that from the date of the said resolution, the aforementioned members cease to be members of the All Progressives Congress and consequently are disentitled from enjoying rights, privileges and benefits from the party,” he said.