An All Progressives Congress chieftain, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has denied allegations that former Zamfara State Governor Abdul'aziz Yari is sponsoring the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate, Bilyaminu Yusuf Shinkafi. Shinkafi described the allegation as false, accusing political opponents of spreading misinformation to damage Yari's reputation following his appointment as Director-General of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
According to Shinkafi, Bilyaminu Yusuf Shinkafi is related to Yari by marriage, being a cousin of the senator's wife, who is a daughter of the late Umaru Shinkafi. Bilyaminu had sought to contest for the Zamfara North Senatorial District seat on the APC platform but was not cleared by the party's screening committee ahead of the 2027 elections. He subsequently joined the ADC to pursue his governorship ambition.
Shinkafi alleged that some political actors were unhappy with Yari's appointment to lead President Bola Tinubu's re-election campaign and were using the allegation to attack him. He said it is obvious that some political actors are not happy that President Tinubu appointed Yari his Presidential Campaign Council's Director General and ventilate their grievances by spreading fake news and carrying out a campaign of calumny against him.
Shinkafi also denied that the eight suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly who recently resigned from the APC were political allies of Yari. The lawmakers, including Aliyu Ango Kagara, Ibrahim Tukur Bakura, and Faruk Musa Dosara, were suspended by the Assembly on February 26, 2024, over allegations including gross misconduct and contempt of the House.
According to Shinkafi, five of the lawmakers were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections before defecting to the APC. Their political backgrounds do not support claims that they were Yari's allies. Efforts by Yari and other party stakeholders to resolve the dispute had failed, despite attempts to persuade the Assembly leadership to lift the suspension.
Shinkafi said he had advised Yari to approach Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal to resolve the matter amicably before Yari planned to defect to the APC. Yari had provided financial assistance to the suspended lawmakers, whose salaries, allowances, and other entitlements had allegedly been withheld since their suspension. Shinkafi urged Lawal and the Assembly leadership to find a political solution to the dispute and address the lawmakers' outstanding entitlements.
Shinkafi appealed to Nigerians to disregard the allegation, expressing confidence in Yari's commitment to Tinubu's re-election bid in 2027. He urged Nigerians to focus on the real issues rather than fake news and misinformation. The development is coming amid preparations for the 2027 general elections, with various political parties and stakeholders positioning themselves for the polls.
Key points
- APC chieftain Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi denies allegations against Abdul'aziz Yari.
- The allegations were made to damage Yari's reputation.
- Yari's commitment to Tinubu's re-election bid remains unwavering.
