Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, on Saturday, appealed to factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to sheathe their swords and unite for the progress of the state.
Matawalle made the appeal in Maradun, Maradun Local Government Area (LGA) of the state while addressing his faction of the APC delegates at the party’s Local Government (LG) congress.
There are three factions of the APC in Zamfara: the Matawalle faction, the AbdulAziz Yari faction and the Senator Kabiru Marafa faction.
The governor participated in the local government congress of the party held in Maradun, the headquarters of his local government area.
“I still insist that APC in the state is still one family because no court or even the national headquarters of the party has asked the party in the state to suspend its congresses.
“The fact that there was no court order or any instruction from the party’s headquarters stopping the congresses indicates clearly that the congresses are legal and acceptable,” Matawalle said.
He, however, accused some people in the party for misguiding those criticising APC leadership both in the state and at the national level.
The governor stressed that the time for bitter politics had gone, saying that serious politicians no longer favoured bitter politics.
“This world now is a global village where developmental democracy thrives.
“Let us come together to build Zamfara state politically, economically and socially, irrespective of political differences.
“By these congresses, the state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has succcefully elected officers that will conduct the affairs of the party at the wards and local government levels,” he said.
Matawalle was accompanied by former Governor of the state, Sen. Ahmed Yarima, former House of Representatives member, Alhaji Aminu Jaji and former Deputy Governor of the state, Malam Ibrahim Liman.
Also in company of the governor to Maradun for the LG congress was Alhaji Kabiru Masari, the leader of the National APC Committee for Zamfara Congresses.
No fewer than 28 officials including women, youths and persons with disabilities emerged in each of the LG congresses through consensus.
The Matawalle-led and Marafa-led factional congresses in Gusau, Bakura, Bungudu, Maru, Maradun,Tsafe and Kaura Namoda LGAs were conducted under adequate security to ensure law and order.
The Yari-led faction, however, boycotted the party’s local government congresses.
Yari had instructed his supporters not to participate in the congresses, describing the process as illegal.
His faction had obtained a Federal High Court order that the factions should “maintain the status quo,” pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The federal high court at its resumed hearing on November 17, fixed December 2 for ruling on the suit.
