Ex-Gov Yari, Marafa dump APC for PDP

The former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari and former Senator, Kabiru Marafa, have joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Zamfara PDP State chairman, Bala Mande, announced the defection of the two former APC chieftains on Sunday after a meeting in Gusau, the state capital.

Mande said Yari and Marafa have agreed to work for the development of the PDP in the state, adding that a date for the reception of the duo will be announced soon.

“We want to officially announce to you of the joining of our great party, the PDP, by the former Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Abdul Aziz Yari, Senator Kabiru Garba Mafara and their supporters”

“They are now PDP members, we have reached an agreement and we are going to implement the agreement.

“We have agreed to work together as one political entity in one party, the PDP for the success of the party in the State.

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“We have also agreed to work extra hard to reclaim the lost mandate of Zamfara State in 2023 and save its people from their present predicament.

“I have given the stakeholders a complete update of where we are as a result of this development.”

The chairman noted that the two political heavyweights in the State would be officially received in Gusau, the State capital

The development put an end to the speculation surrounding the rumoured defection of Yari and Marafa from the APC to the PDP.

The duo has been at the centre of the leadership crisis in Zamfara APC — a situation that snowballed to the disqualification of the party in the polls conducted in the state in 2015.

The crisis worsened when Bello Matawalle, governor of the state, joined the APC from the PDP.

Owing to Matawalle’s defection, Marafa and Yari lost their leadership grip in the Zamfara APC.

In June 2021, Marafa said he would resist any attempt by the Zamfara governor to violate the terms of his defection to the APC.

In November 2021, Marafa’s APC faction threatened to sue Mai Mala Buni, then APC caretaker chairman, for allegedly taking sides with the faction of Matawalle.

Recently, Yari lost out of the APC national chairmanship race after key leaders of the party, including President Muhammadu Buhari, favoured the candidacy of Abdullahi Adamu.

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