The representative of Zamfara Central Senatorial District, Senator Kabir Marafa, said he will remain in the All Progressives Congress to fight injustice and imposition of candidates by some party leaders despite the ruling party inability to field any candidate for the 2019 general election from the state.
Marafa, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) was rumoured to have been considering defection in order to actualise his dream, however, explained in a statement on Saturday that he would remain in the APC.
INEC deadline for the substitution of governorship candidates ended on Saturday, making it impossible for Marafa to participate in next year’s governorship poll on the platform of the APC.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had banned the APC from submitting candidates for the governorship, national and state assembly elections from Zamfara State, following its inability to conduct primaries there.
While Governor Abdul’aziz Yari favoured an indirect primary to elect his successor, Marafa, a leading governorship aspirant in the state, insisted on the direct process.
The development led to series of litigations which prevented INEC from recognising any candidate of the APC from the state, for the 2019 polls.
“I am going to remain in the APC to ensure that we end all forms of injustice and imposition of candidates. We won’t rest until leaders who engage in such undemocratic acts and their cohorts are effectively retired from politics.”