Oshiomhole was misled, INEC is right, no primary held in Zamfara –Sen. Marafa

A serving senator and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kabiru Marafa, has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) position that there will not be candidate from Zamfara is in order because there was no primaries in the state.

The lawmaker, who represents Zamfara-Central Senatorial District, said the National Chairman of his party, Adams Oshiomhole must have been deceived in his reply to INEC on the matter.

INEC had written the APC to inform it that it was ineligible to file in names of candidates for any elective position from Zamfara State for the 2019 elections because there were no primaries in the state as stipulated by INEC election timetable.

But the APC had argued that election was held but was not concluded, adding that a consensus arrangement was reached among the party aspirants in the state.

But Marafa, who is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the APC, denied his party, insisting that there was no consensus arrangement reached among the party’s aspirants in the state.

He told newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, “I read the letter from INEC where they quoted sections of the law that influenced their position. I also read the response made by the APC National Chairman (Adams Oshiomhole). I want to believe the chairman has been misled by the APC’s electoral committee that went to Zamfara. But as a stakeholder who was present and witnessed the whole process that happened, there was no election in Zamfara on Saturday, October 7, 2018.

“Also, there was no consensus from anybody or by anybody. So, the election committee reported in the contrary. I think that was absolutely wrong. I always stand by the side of the truth. I want to say the truth even if it is against me.”

It is believed that the face-off between Marafa and Zamfara outgoing Governor Abdulaziz Yari, played no little role in the present predicament the state APC has found itself.

On whether he may dump the APC, Marafa said, “I’m an APC member to the core, and I’m still with the APC, notwithstanding that the chances are becoming bleak, maybe for me as a politician. But I believe in the party. If the party does anything wrong, I should have the courage to say this thing is wrong. If the party has any way within the law to fill in any candidate, I will be happy, but not when the issues are based on a wrong foundation. So, let us address the issues the way they are.

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“We are going into elections and the desire of every party is to win and win without any litigation, divert attention and waste resources. I would not want to see one happening to me. So, by and large, the only thing I saw wrong in the letter is the assertion that there was a consensus. There was no consensus. We are governorship aspirants but some people stepped down.

“For the remaining five aspirants, there was no consensus till the end of the exercise. The truth of the matter is that the APC electoral committee tried to achieve a consensus among the aspirants for the governorship and senatorial aspirants, but the two factions of the party could not agree.

“If you force any consensus or you claim there was one, there is going to be a revolt that there was no consensus, and anybody and some have the right to go to court. But if under the law, the APC has the right to field candidates, they can go ahead to do it without recourse to either election or consensus. Let us get one thing clear and correct. That there was no election, no consensus.”

 

 

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