Defection: Why Yari, Marafa meet Saraki

Senator representing Zamfara Central in the 8th National Assembly, Kabir Marafa, has revealed the reason why he met the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki in company with the former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul Aziz Abubakar Yari.

Newsflash Nigeria reports that rumours of the defection of a factional leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State and Ex-Governor Abdul Aziz Abubakar Yari emerged following an alleged meeting between the duo and former Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Yari and Marafa were seen alighting from a private jet along with Saraki at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja, with some reports claiming that the trio was heading to an urgent PDP caucus meeting at the party’s national headquarters.

It was learned that the three politicians laughed heartedly and chatted easily, as they walked out of the airport to their waiting cars.

Reacting, Senator Kabir Marafa said he met with Saraki in company with Yari had nothing to do with defection to the PDP.

The lawmaker said he will remain in the APC despite attempts to frustrate him out.

Marafa stated this during a telephone interview with the Punch Newspaper on Saturday.

He was reacting to insinuations that a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, was trying to woo him and former Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz  Yari, to the Peoples Democratic Party PDP).

The senator said he met with Saraki in company with Yari, but that the occasion had nothing to do with defection to the PDP.

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Marafa said, “The former Senate President was going to Kaduna for a wedding and he called me to join him since he knew that I am based in Kaduna.

“We actually flew into Kaduna together because I was in Abuja when he called me.

“The former Senate president was my boss. He wanted me to accompany him to the wedding organised by a spiritual leader.

“The cleric gave out his daughter in marriage yesterday (Friday), and he invited Saraki and Yari, but I was not invited.”

Asked if Saraki tried to woo him to defect to the PDP, Marafa said, “Can somebody woo me to the PDP?”

He added, “I don’t need to be wooed; if I want to join the PDP. I will do so without anybody influencing me.

“I participated actively in the building of the APC as a critical stakeholder. I was a sitting senator then.

“I am a senior engineer in the team that built the APC. I will therefore not abandon my house to bricklayers, plumbers, electricians, and others who were mere labourers when the construction was going on.

“A lot of those who are parading themselves as leaders of the APC were doing menial jobs when I was issuing professional instructions as a senior engineer.’’

Also, the former Governor Abdul’aziz Yari denied a social media report on Saturday that he had quit the APC.

Ibrahim Muhammad, a media aide to Mr Yari and former Zamfara Commissioner of Information to newsmen on Saturday that the report was fictitious.

Mr Muhammad alleged that the report was orchestrated by the political enemies of Mr Yari.

Yari and Marafa are angry over the ceding of the leadership of the APC in Zamfara State to Governor Bello Matawalle, following the governor’s defection from the PDP.

Ironically, it was an intractable dispute between both men that led to the disqualification of the APC from the 2019 general elections in Zamfara, paving the way for the award of the governorship to Mr Matawalle.

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