Zamfara e-registration crisis: Shinkafi urges Tinubu to intervene

By Jude Opara, Abuja

Barely four days to the end of the e-registration membership exercise of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a chieftain of the party in Zamfara state, Dr. Sani Shinkafi has called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Chairman of the party, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda to call the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle to order over his alleged hijacking of the process.

Shinkafi who spoke to newsmen at the National Secretariait of the party on Tuesday said because of his ambition to contest the governorship election in 2027, Matawalle has ensured that he and his supporters are not registered as bonafide members of the party.

He further warned that unless the national leadership of the party insists on the right thing, the party will not be able to win any election in the state because of the serious fragmentation within the party.

Shinkafi who is a former National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) said he is eminently qualified to be registered as a member of the ruling party after his defection in 2021.

“But with what is happening in Zamfara state, critical stakeholders who have mass followership to contest for office of governor on four occasions. No matter what, there is no way you can sweep me under the carpet in Zamfara politics and national politics.

“So going by my political profile, somebody will sit down because he’s a member of Federal Executive Council (FEC) feeling that he has everything to intimidate, to harass, and even exclude critical stakeholders like me and Aminu Sani Jaji from being registered as a member of our party.

“Party politics is by interest. Nigerian Constitution guarantees any citizen of this country to belong to any political party of his choice. But my own choice is to remain in APC. But somebody who felt that he is within the corridors of power, wants to hijack the structure of the party by all means to contest for election”.

The APC chieftain further wondered why Matawalle thinks he can win the governorship election after he was defeated even as an incumbent governor.

“While you have been a governor, you have the machineries to fight. And you were defeated by somebody who was in the banking sector, who has never been in politics. He’s just a freelancer or a beginner. And he came and defeated you in the gubernatorial election wholly and you expect that you can now go back and reclaim that mandate.

“So, I wonder why somebody will sit down at the comfort of his office dictating to the party that this is who should be registered, this is who should not be registered. On no account, the National Chairman and the national leadership of the party, including Mr. President, who is the National Leader of the party, should not allow this type of selfish politicians because they have been swallowed by their desperate ambition that they want to grab power by all means.

“But you have to follow the due process of the internal party mechanism and the constitution and other later electoral process. This is a democratic government. Each and every person has the right to contest. And we have to make sure that we uphold the norms and values of democratic institutions. So, that’s why I’m here to meet with national chairman and see how we can sort out these issues”.

It could be recalled that two weeks ago, another chieftain of the party from the same Zamfara state, Hon. Aminu Sani Jaaji also complained that some strong stakeholders in the state have refused him registration as a member of the party.