Fred Itua, Abuja
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Kabiru Garba Marafa, has alleged that Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State, should be held responsible for the sabotage which led to the postponement of the country’s general election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had, on Saturday, February 16, the day of the presidential and National Assembly elections, announced the postponement of the exercise by a week, blaming it on logistics challenges and sabotage.
Regardless, Marafa, in a statement, yesterday, while describing the postponement as unfortunate, alleged Yari should be held responsible.
He claimed Yari boasted that if his candidates are not included on the ballot paper, there won’t be elections in the country.
He said: ”During the grand finale of his illegal campaign rallies in his hometown, Talata Mafara, Zamfara, on Friday, February 8, he rained abuses and said unprintable things on the person of the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, and swore that unless his candidates are enlisted to contest, there won’t be elections in Zamfara and the entire country. Now, it has come to pass, what next?
“I’m calling on the authorities to hold Yari and his accomplices responsible for this treasonable sabotage against the country, Nigerians and humanity in general. Just do a search on the Internet, including YouTube, you will see the stories and videos of where Yari stated emphatically that unless his candidates are accepted, elections won’t hold in zamfara state and Nigeria.
“When Yari conducted illegal primaries, I drew the attention of Nigerians and the world to the dangers inherent in accepting that abuse of our laws, instead of being reprimanded, Yari went ahead to the courts to legalise his illegality.
“Today, the APC has abandoned its earlier position; that it only had consensus, to supporting Yari’s illegal election. This is very sad and unfortunate.
“I am not surprised that immediately after the announcement of the postponement, Yari’s boys rushed to the media, radio stations, jubilating that they have succeeded. This unfortunate incidence should be probed and condemned by all lovers of the country.
“This is the time to tell Yari and his co-travellers that Nigeria is bigger than them and their collective ambitions.
“Yari’s position, that if he doesn’t get it, nobody should, is against the teachings of Islam, our laws and morality combined.”
Marafa, a leading APC governorship aspirant in Zamfara, added: “Only a positive pronouncement from the Court of Appeal, not the desperation of a satanic lawyer or anybody can change the statusquo of Zamfara APC.”
Spokesman of the governor, Mr. Ibrahim Dosara,told daily Sun, yesterday night, that “Marafa should count the governor out of the postponement.”
Dosara also added that, “Yari is not an INEC official and can, therefore, not interfere in the postponement of the polls.”
