Ex-Gov Yari, Senator Marafa dump APC for PDP

Two prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State have joined the Peoples Democratic Party. They are a former governor of the state, Abdulaziz Yari, and an ex-senator, Kabiru Marafa.

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

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

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

The duo had been at the centre of the leadership crisis in Zamfara APC — a situation that led 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 of 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 siding with the faction of Matawalle.

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