Kabiru Marafa has left the All Progressives Congress, accusing President Bola Tinubu of adopting a ‘use-and-dump’ leadership style, SAVANNAH NEWSNOW REPORTS.
Marafa, a former senator from Zamfara Central and coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign in Zamfara during the 2023 polls, made the announcement after a two-day meeting with his consultative forum in Kaduna.
The group condemned the escalating insecurity, political marginalization, and developmental neglect in Zamfara in a communiqué signed by Comrade Bashir Muhammad Mafara, chairman, Dr. Mannir Bature Tsafe, secretary, and other members at the end of their meeting.
The communiqué highlighted Marafa’s successful delivery of Zamfara’s votes to Tinubu in 2023, noting that he had assured a visit to the state was unnecessary, a promise he kept. Nevertheless, the group expressed disappointment that, despite this loyalty, Zamfara has allegedly been marginalized under the current administration.
According to the Forum, insecurity in Zamfara has reached alarming levels, with 1,203 kidnappings out of 4,722 nationwide in 2024. Reports show that 25 villages were attacked during a bye-election, resulting in 145 abductions and 21 deaths.
The communiqué also criticizes the deployment of security forces to secure APC’s electoral victory in Kaura Namoda, while neglecting to protect lives in the same area from bandit attacks.
While other Northwest states received two ministerial slots, Zamfara was only offered a junior minister position, which the Forum described as “deliberate neglect” in comparison to the generous appointments given to states where Tinubu lost, including Lagos.
They also pointed out that, unlike other troubled states where the President had personally intervened, Zamfara victims had been denied federal support.
Furthermore, the group alleged that the APC’s national leadership had undermined Marafa’s political base, which they saw as a betrayal of the party’s core principles of fairness and inclusivity.
After conducting exhaustive consultations and a critical review of the current situation, the Forum decided to withdraw Marafa’s entire political structure from the APC across all 147 wards in Zamfara.
This decision was made in response to sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalization, and deliberate neglect of the state and its people, with the next political move to be announced later in line with the collective interest of Zamfara residents.
