APC primaries: Oshiomhole behaving like a dictator, says Yari

Governor Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara State has called out his supporters for a peaceful protest over the decision of the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to cancel the party’s governorship primaries held on Wednesday.
“I am calling on all our members to come out and storm the state Police Headquarters on Saturday for peaceful protest.
“We will continue with this decision until the national leadership of our party do what is right on this matter,” he said at a press conference in Gusau.
The governor is having a running battle with eight governorship aspirants in the state over the conduct of direct primaries.
The governorship primaries held on Wednesday was cancelled by the party’s national secretariat and a fresh one is expected to hold on Saturday.
According to Abu Fari, chairman of the election panel, the cancellation was due to harassment and intimidation of voters and snatching of election materials by thugs sponsored by politicians.
Yari, however, dismissed the claim by the committee as false and warned its members not to step into Zamfara again.
“Our issue is with the National Secretariat of APC where Adams Oshiomhole continues to be a dictator to party members, he acts as a mini god.
“You know, there is ongoing issue regarding the APC governorship primaries in the state, where the national headquarters sent a committee to conduct the election.
“It was very unfortunate that the committee cancelled the election on Wednesday.
“We heard that the National Working Committee had dissolved the APC executive in the state and also send the same committee to Zamfara to repeat the exercise.
“I want to call on the national headquarters of the party that we will not accept the decision and we are not satisfied with the committee, we don’t have confidence in that committee.
“I am warning members of that committee that they should never come to Zamfara, they should never put their legs in this state, and anything that happens to them, Adams Oshiomhole should be held responsible.
“We will continue with this decision until the national leadership of the party are ready to do justice,” he stressed.
The governor dismissed insinuations that he had dumped the APC, saying nothing will make him leave the party.
“I remain in APC and I will never leave the party. No amount of pressure will make me to leave the APC.”
The governor added: “I was among the founders of this party, I was in Lagos, Nasarawa states for meetings before we gave birth to the APC, therefore no amount of pressure will make me to leave the party.
“You know, changing political party is not my tradition, therefore I will not change the party and the rumour going round is not true, I am not under any pressure to leave the party.”
Yari’s travails began when he anointed his Finance Commissioner as the sole candidate of APC in the state, a decision challenged by eight aspirants including his deputy, Ibrahim Wakala.
The aspirants locally known as the G8, are a former governor of the state, Aliyu Shinkafi, a serving Senator, Kabiru Marafa, and Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali.
Others include Aminu Sani Jaji, Alhaji Dauda Lawal, Alhaji Abu Mahaji and Sagir Hamidu.