By Sadiq Umar – Factional delegates of the All Progressive Congress (APC) from Zamfara States were denied access to the National Convention in Abuja by Security officials stationed at the Eagle Square venue of the event.
The APC delegates loyal to Senator Kabiru Marafa’s were prevented from entering the venue of the convention ground, arguing that the faction fulfilled all the requirements to contest party positions.
The State’s factional Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Bello Bakyasuwa who briefed Journalists outside the venue in Abuja, said it was the Governor Abdulaziz Yari faction that failed to fulfill the requirements to contest party’s positions at the convention.
He explained that the APC faction under the State Chairman, Surajo Garba Mai Katako Gusau, were elected in the parallel APC state congresses of 5th, 12th and 19th May 2018 in Zamfara State.
He however vowed to take appropriate action to seek redress on the issue.
He said, “we are in Abuja to witness this convention as Zamfara State National Convention Delegates and Supporters of Senator Kabir Garba Marafa, CON, for Governor of Zamfara State in 2019 and also supporters of President Muhammed Buhari for second term in 2019. We are here with all our delegates and over 1000 supporters, but we have been denied entry into the Eagle Square. So, we hereby appeal to our new national party leaders to be fair and recognize our faction as the legitimate APC leadership in Zamfare State.
“Our faction fulfilled all the requirements or contesting party positions. While the Abdullaziz Yari faction didn’t fulfil the requirements. The Governor Yari faction didn’t pay for the forms for contesting elections to party positions but our own faction fulfilled all the conditions including the payment for all the nomination forms.
“As you can see we are the majority but the security operatives stopped us from entering into the venue of the convention. Right now we don’t know where our chairman is. We will take appropriate action to seek redress. We are dully and legitimate elected executives of APC in Zamfara state. They stopped us because some of our supporters were wearing T- shirts with the photograph of our leader, Senator Kabir Garba Marafa.
“We wish to restate with serious emphasis the resolve of our faction to pursue all legitimate means of ensuring that justice and fairness is done to us by giving us our due recognition as the legislate APC leadership in Zamfara State.”
