By Haruna Salami
This is an easy time for the All Progressive Congress, APC in Zamfara state. The electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission,
INEC has said the party can no longer field candidates for governorship, national assembly and state assembly in the 2019 general elections for not conducting its primary election within the stipulated period.;
However, Honourable Aminu Sani Jaji, representing Birnin Magaji/Kaura Namoda federal constituency of Zamfara state, an APC governorship aspirant on the platform of the party said only a court of competent jurisdiction can decide the current impasse created by the party.He expressed optimism that the APC will field candidates in the forthcoming general election in the state, saying the way the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hurriedly declared that zamfara APC cannot field candidates reportedly gave room for suspicion and conspiracy by smaller parties.
Jaji, claimed that the reason for Governor Abdulaziz Yari initially insistence for indirect primaries is only known to him, adding that he has not withdrawn from the group of 8 aspirants governorship aspirants popularly called G8 and also debunked insinuation that he is being sponsored by former governor Ahmed Sani Yarima.
“My position is that both INEC and APC are being guided by law. And it is only court of competent jurisdiction that can interpret that one, I think the court will do the needful, then the road will be clear to everyone including INEC.
“I am not worried, let me tell you one thing, for me, am not entertaining any fear or envisage fear. All I know is that we are going to field candidates from governorship to state assembly under the platform of APC.
“I did not withdraw from the G8, you know they way people see it is completely different from the way it is. This coalition (G8) came together to fight impunity, but we have our individual differences but we understand our differences and that is why we are together to see how we can move forward in order to achieve a common goal, that is to fight impunity” he said.
According to the lawmaker, “the situation in zamfara is not deadlock, we are on right track”.
Continuing he said “We did primary in zamfara, may be the issue we had is that it went inconclusive, but just like in general election if the electoral officer decides that the election is inconclusive, would you say there was no election? So that was exactly what happened in zamfara.
“We started 6th and 7th October and we couldn’t conclude it, but the most important thing is to start the process and couldn’t conclude for security reason.
“On that 7th October, we were at 80 percent conclusion, suddenly we saw a letter from INEC that there was no election; consequently we cannot field candidates in zamfara.
“I don’t want to believe there was conspiracy within, because of the way they (INEC) rushed to conclusion. There are smaller political parties that cannot produce even a councillor, so they may decide to do such. Because they know may be through normal process in a general election, they won’t get anything.
“What I am saying is why did INEC jump into conclusion that we cannot field candidates, because if you may ask, both PDP and others, none of them did primary election in zamfara. I didn’t see any of them, nobody noticed they were doing primaries”.
Meanwhile, Jaji applauded the National leadership of the APC, stressing that without their intervention, the impunity in the state would have been worse.
“For me, I commend the national leadership of APC because they did all they could to see that there was a level playing ground for all the governorship aspirants.
“At the time I wanted to buy my nomination form, somebody from the state said they should not sell nomination and expression of interest form to me. I asked them why, after I had paid to the party. Later I was told they called the national chairman who directed them to give me the nomination form and apologize to me.
“Governor Yari said he want indirect primaries, but the NWC said no,l we have to go for direct primaries because of the litigation before the party in the state. Hence, for me they did what is right.
“I tell you if not for the way, the National Chairman of APC, handled the matter, the impunity we are seeing today would have been worse in Zamfara state” Jaji concluded.