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Tag: Yari

  • Insecurity: Residents protest in Zamfara, destroy Buhari, Yari’s 2019 campaign billboards

    Insecurity: Residents protest in Zamfara, destroy Buhari, Yari’s 2019 campaign billboards

    Information reaching TNG now has it that residents of some parts of Zamfara State are protesting the insecurity in the state.

    Recall that hundreds of people have been killed by bandits in the North-west state in 2018. Many others have been kidnapped for ransom.

    The protesters, mainly residents of Tsafe Local Government Area, on Monday morning barricaded the Gusau-Zaria highway linking the state to Kaduna, Kano, and Abuja.

    An eyewitness said the protesters in their hundreds destroyed political billboards of President Muhammadu Buhari and the state governor, Abdulaziz Yari.

    The protests, which was populated by youth and women later degenerated into a full riot.

    “The protesters began by blocking the highway and burning tyres, but as we speak, the local government secretariat in Tsafe is on fire,” the eyewitness, who declined to be named for security reasons, said.

    Details later…

  • TRENDING [Video]: ‘I’ll fight Oshiomhole to finish, I’m ready for graveyard’ says Gov Yari

    A controversial video showing Governor Abdulaziz Yari threatening to attack the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, [APC], Adams Oshiomhole, has surfaced online.

    In the video making the rounds on the Internet, Yari warned Oshiomhole not to dare send the committee he sent to Zamfara State to conduct the APC governorship election.

    His words” The committee sent by Oshiomhole to do the dirty job should never dare to come to Zamfara State again, we are ready to be taken to the graveyard, If them born your father and mother well, send the committee members to the state again, it is fight to finish”

    Though it is not clear when the video was filmed, however, the threat is connected with the crisis in All Progressives Congress over governorship primaries.

    Recall that the governorship primaries earlier held in the state was cancelled by the party’s national secretariat and a fresh one was expected to hold.

    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.

    Watch video:

  • Gov. Yari offers N1m reward on every illegal AK 47 rifle

    Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara on Thursday announced a reward of N1 million on every illegal AK 47 rifle returned to the state government.

    The governor, who announced this at a news conference in Gusau, said the gesture had become necessary following the unabated increase in crime, especially abduction in the state.

    He wondered why “in 2015, with just about 250 soldiers, the crime rate was low but with over 1,600 soldiers of different categories, we cannot contain crime in the state”.

    He said with the proposed engagement of 8,500 youths as civilian task force, those involved would be better equipped in the fight against armed banditry, cattle rustling and kidnapping in the state.

    He said that many of the youths that would be engaged would come from the rural areas where the crime rate was higher.

    “I am confident that since the locals know the people in their surroundings, they will be quick in detecting any new comer or suspicious movement.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that armed bandits have continued to storm various communities in the state, especially at the rural areas where they kill, maim, abduct people and burn houses, shops and other properties.

  • Zamfara APC crisis: Yari hints on defection plans after controversial primaries

    Zamfara APC crisis: Yari hints on defection plans after controversial primaries

    …insists no amount of pressure will make him leave APC
     
    Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, on Friday said that he has been under intense pressure to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) with his supporters.
     
    Yari, who is the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
     
    He also handed over the results of the primaries conducted in the state to the President after the Jumaat prayer.
     
    He promised that despite the pressure from his people to dump the APC, he will remain with the party and fight against any injustice.
     
    According to him, his supporters were aggrieved over the turn out of events following the party leadership’s refusal to acknowledge the primaries conducted last week in the state.
     
    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had also barred the APC from fielding any candidates for the 2019 poll in Zamfara for not conducting primary elections in the state.
     
    He explained that the development has caused frustration among his supporters.
     
    The governor also warned the national leadership of the party not to present any list that did not emanate from the primaries conducted before the expiration of the deadline for the primaries in the state.
     
    Reacting to reports of his purported romance with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party on the social media, Yari, who was flanked by the Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, said, “I don’t know whether that is a joke or otherwise.
     
    “But for me, if you check my history since 1998, APP, and 2002 when Buhari joined ANPP, and 2015 APC, no time that I shifted from one party to another. That is not in my culture. So, the issue of leaving the party is not true.
     
    “But some other people are sending rumour through the social media. I have seen my picture with the PDP and other parties. Yes, I cannot deny pressure from the people that we should leave APC but what I told them is that what we are looking for is just justice.
     
    “We conducted election and we want to see what the result is going to look. But I think for any body to come under the national secretariat and say he is going to nominate a candidate, I think, it is a very huge joke.” he said
     
    The Zamfara State Governor wondered why the INEC could claim that there were no primaries in the state when the government agencies including the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the electoral umpire was at hand to monitor the process in the state.
     
    He said though there were some hitches in some places in the state that made the committee to postpone primary elections in the affected areas, the process he said was concluded the next day.
     
    He said, “There were hitches somewhere but we decided to suspend the area there were problems until the following day. So, the following day, we continued and we concluded the election by the people nominated by that committee to conduct election but the committee ran away and refused to collate the results.
     
    “So, what we did was that we filed the results and kept it under the watch of those people and waited to see what was going to happen. The second committee waited 32 hours to the closing, we thought the committee will hasten and come up with modalities for the election.
     
    “But committee wasted about 18 hours discussing about how the modalities were going to be. So, when we realised that, we were actually advised by the supervisory agency that is INEC and other agencies there that the best thing to do as the people had voted and since it was 7am was to start counting.
     
    “When they finished, they released the materials and we adopted the numbers. Already, we had produced our own set of forms for the national Assembly which we have done and then, when we concluded, I didn’t see members of the committee until one and half hours to the time.
     
    “Then, when they came I asked them what they came for, they said they came for reconciliation and I said which reconciliation? People can not reconcile over a month and you are trying to reconcile in an hour. Then, I realised that there was a game that was being played so that we can run out of time.” he said
     
    According to him, the national body of APC had other crude ways to produce candidates contrary to section 87 of the Electoral Act that the party must follow a process before producing any candidate.
     
    “Therefore, the most important is that we conducted election on the 3rd and 4th of October and all agencies, INEC, Civil Defence, Police, and DSS were there and they signed for us and the report was written by the REC that elections were conducted.
     
    “Unfortunately, for the INEC to say that there was no election, we don’t know where they got their information but we believe they have a report directly from their representative there that election was held in Zamfara state, so, it depends on what they want to do.
     
    “But, in any way, we were advised when the chairman of the committee came out and said there was no election in Zamfara state, we realised it was going to be a litigation issue. We quickly rushed to court, we filed a case and the case is coming up next week.
     
    “So, I think that is the only saving grace for the party and INEC for court of competent jurisdiction to give judgement on Zamfara matter that there was election.” he stated.

  • Buhari meets Governors Ganduje, Amosun, Yari in Abuja

    Buhari meets Governors Ganduje, Amosun, Yari in Abuja

    President Muhammadu Buhari again on Friday met with three state governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
    The President’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, disclosed this on his Twitter handle, @BashirAhmaad.
    Ahmad listed the governors who met with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja to include Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara).
    “President Muhammadu Buhari this afternoon, met with Governors of Kano, Ogun and Zamfara States at the Presidential Villa, Abuja,” he wrote.
    Although the president’s aide did not disclose the purpose of the meeting, it is believed to be part of ongoing efforts to resolve the post-primaries crises that erupted in the ruling party in some states.
     
    Details later…

  • Zamafara APC crisis: Oshiomhole in war with deputy as Yari draws battle line

    The Deputy National Chairman (North), of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Lawal Shuaibu, has faulted the decision of the National Working Committee of the party to dissolve the entire party executive in Zamfara State.

    The NWC is led by the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, with Shuaibu among the members.

    Recall that the APC in two separate statements signed by its spokesperson, Yekini Nabena, announced the dissolution of the Zamfara State executive and all executive committees across the state.

    However, Shuaibu, who is from Zamfara State, issued a counter statement to say “the news going round that the APC Executive have been dissolved is not true.”

    Shuaibu said the NWC cannot dissolve the party executives in the state because of the existence a subsisting court order.

    He said the order had asked the disagreeing parties in a petition challenging the legality of the process through which the state executives emerged to maintain the status quo and “should not take any step that would render nugatory the subject of the litigation which is the position of the party before 5th of June 2018.”

    The deputy chairman said the NWC and the party in the state were both served the court order.

    He said the National Headquarters of the party “can therefore not take any action except to ensure members of the executives do comply.”

    In his statement earlier, APC spokesperson, Yekini Nabena, also said the NWC-inaugurated committee for Zamfara State is to conduct the governorship and legislative primaries in the state.

    He said the state governor, Abdul’aziz Yari, and the dissolved executives in the state “should not interfere in the primary elections in the state.”

    He said the governorship and legislative primaries will hold from Saturday to Sunday.

     

  • Zamfara APC primaries: Yari attacks Oshiomhole, says 'he's acting like a dictator, mini god'

    …calls on supporters to protest party’s cancellation of governorship primaries
     
    Gov. Abdul’aziz of Zamfara, on Friday 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 tomorrow (Saturday) by 10 am 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 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 continue 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 canceled 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 commissioner of finance 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.

  • No panic in APC over emergence of R-APC – Yari

    No panic in APC over emergence of R-APC – Yari

    Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State on Thursday said there was no panic in the camp of the ruling All Progressives Congress over the emergence of a faction known as Reformed-APC on Wednesday.

    Yari said this in an interview with State House correspondents after a meeting he attended at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The governor said crisis was expected in a big party like the APC, especially ahead of general elections.

    Although he said he was worried over the development, Yari expressed the conviction that the party leadership would handle the matter.

    He said, “Of course, I am worried (over the matter) but it is something the party will handle.

    “You know that with the forthcoming elections, you will expect this kind of thing. You will expect crisis left, right and centre because of political interest, especially in a party with an overwhelming majority.

    “The most important thing is that with the emergence of new leadership (of APC), everything will be resolved. Therefore, there is no panic.”

  • Yari’s Special Adviser, Abdullahi-Tsafe, dies at 61

    Special Adviser to Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara on intergovernmental matters, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi-Tsafe, is dead, aged 61.

    Malam Ibrahim Dosara, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Public Enlightenment, announced the death in a statement in Gusau on Wednesday.

    Dosara stated that late Abdullahi-Tsafe died in the early hours of Wednesday at Nizamiye Hospital, Abuja, after a protracted illness.

    Abdullahi-Tsafe, who worked with Voice of America over the years, was the Special Adviser to the Zamfara governor on Media between 2011 and 2015.

    Gov. Yari said the death was a huge loss not only to Zamfara but to Nigeria in general.

    He described the deceased as a complete gentleman of the highest order who contributed to the development of Zamfara and the entire northern Nigeria and beyond.

    Yari said “Alhaji Sani Abdullahi-Tsafe spent his life meaningfully, serving humanity and was always ready to assist in making life easier and meaningful to others, particularly the less privileged in the society.

    “The deceased was actively involved in the struggle for the creation of Zamfara, with other eminent citizens of the state over 20 years.

    “He contributed a lot through his active, vibrant and aggressive media campaign for the creation of Zamfara.

    “We cherish and appreciate his laudable contributions and successful media struggle.”

    The governor prayed to Allah to grant the deceased Aljannat Firdaus and the family the fortitude the bear the loss.

    Born in 1957, the deceased left behind three wives and 16 children.

  • APC ward congress: Buhari meets Okorocha, Yari over irregularities, violence

    Sequel to the violence and irregularities recorded during the recently concluded ward congress of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday hosted the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Rochas Okorocha; and the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abdulaziz Yari, in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State.

    Recall that Buhari had on Friday travelled to Daura to enable him to take part in the ward congress of the ruling All Progressives Congress that took place nationwide on Saturday.

    The exercise, which was meant to elect new executives of the party at ward levels, was said to have been held amidst protests and violence across the country.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, had posted photographs of the President and the Imo State governor on his Facebook page.

    Adesina however did not disclose the agenda of the meeting.

    “President Buhari receives in audience Governor Rochas Okorochas of Imo State in Daura, Katsina State on 6th May, 2018,” the presidential spokesman simply wrote.

    But Okorocha confirmed to reporters that he intimated Buhari on the outcome of the ward congress which was said to have been marred with crisis and confusion in his state as some unidentified thugs attacked the state party secretariat located at the Imo State University junction in Owerri.

    Okorocha said, “We expect internal democracy and internal democracy is the way to go. Those kinds of funny politics that were played must stop. A situation where people went to carry ballot boxes, steal results looks so primitive. I intimated Mr. President and we will make sure that such things stop.”

    On what Buhari’s response was, the Imo governor said, “He spoke like the President and he will take the necessary steps to correct this in our party, the APC, not just in Imo State but across the whole nation, to make sure that there is respect for internal democracy in Imo State.”

    Yari on his part said the exercise went well in the North-East geopolitical zone.

    “You know in a democracy, you cannot expect everything to work 100 per cent. But in our zone from the information available to us, everything went well in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kano, where people expected that there may be a problem, the exercise was successful.

    “But anybody that has complaint, there is a committee set up by the national executive of the party. They should take their complaints there so that they will be attended to,” he said.

    Apart from the fracas that marred the exercise in Imo State, there were also allegations of hijacking of electoral materials and other irregularities in most of the APC controlled states where the congress was held.