How APC won Zamfara polls – Gov. Yari

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari, has explained why the elections in Zamfara were successful despite the crisis that trailed the ruling party in the state.

According to him, as the pioneer Chairman of the governorship primary for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, where he was able to successfully manage 18 governorship aspirants, coupled with his experience garnered since 1999 till date studying the political process of the state, he was able to apply same to manage the eight or nine aspirants in his state through direct primaries.

Yari, who was in the Presidential Villa to observe the Juma’at prayers, told State House Correspondents that direct primaries was the only way to carry every party member in the state along. 

Asked how he was able to reconcile the APC members in the state before the elections, he said: “I have said it times without number, I am the first chairman who oversaw the pioneer direct primaries in Osun State with 18 candidates contesting for the governorship position of the state. They were all high profile candidates including the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, many former permanent secretaries, the speaker of the state House of Assembly, the secretary to the government of the state. I have said it repeatedly that if my colleagues can accept direct primaries, it is the simplest system that will involve every member in the party.

“In my state, there were only seven or eight people contesting for the governorship position and I have said it that if I could preside over primaries where 18 people contested and succeeded, why can’t I manage eight, nine or 10 in my state? I have been on ground since 1999 to date and I know the system and how it works. I have been party secretary, party chairman, House of Representatives member and a two-term governor. It is with this experience that I was able to manage.

“Unfortunately, there were a lot of misunderstanding between the party in the state and the national body, but in the end, we ended in the court and the court gave the verdict and INEC complied. Though it came late, but if you are with the grassroots definitely everything must work well. The people appreciated what we have been doing and when it came to voting, they voted wisely.”

Yari, who said he was very happy with the outcome of the elections, described the crisis in the state as turmoil on Nigeria.