APC refutes Zamfara lawmakers’ defection rumours

The All Progressives Congress faction in Zamfara State has denied rumours circulating about Aminu Sani-Jaji, a member of the House of Representatives representing Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency leaving the APC for another party.

In a statement issued on Saturday night, the factional secretary, Mansur Kaura, stated that Jaji won his local government for President Asiwaju, delivered the state for President Asiwaju, and also mobilised resources to support President Asiwaju’s project throughout the entire North West as Director of Mobilisation.

According to Kaura, the factional secretary of APC in Zamfara, the APC is a project in which Jaji has heavily invested.

The statement reads in part: “Our attention has been drawn to another mischievous publication by some desperate political losers within the Zamfara APC aimed at destroying the hard-earned reputation of our political mentor, Rt Hon. Dr Aminu Sani Jaji.”

“For the record, the picture released showing the images of the NNPP National Leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and that of Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji by these desperate politicians, who are known to us, is an old picture taken before the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly when our political mentor visited some influential party supporters in Nigeria seeking their support for his candidacy for Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives.

“During that visit to Kwankwaso, our political leader Aminu Sani Jaji reached out to many prominent Nigerian politicians and canvassed for their support in his bid to win the post of Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives as he worked tirelessly to pursue a genuine transformation agenda through effective legislation for the Nigerian people.

“During that same period, there was evidence showing that the former Governor of Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, who also contested for the post of Senate President, paid a similar visit to Kwankwaso, the NNPP National Leader.

Another photo shows Matawalle, the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, as well as the suspended party chairman of APC Zamfara, Tukur Umar Danfulani, paying a similar visit to Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso in an attempt to canvass support for the candidacy of Sen. Godswill Akpabio,” the statement added.

Kaura further stated that the individuals instigating the feud to frustrate Jaji and his numerous supporters out of the APC are Zamfara politicians who have fostered discontent within the APC through their multiple failed promises to the people and corrupt practices stemming from repeated misappropriation of public funds during their tenure in power.

“Their actions have caused the APC significant political damage, leading to the party’s losses in the 2019 and 2023 general elections in the state. Furthermore, the 2023 elections were labelled as ‘the worst political experience in Nigeria’s recent history.’

“We call on the APC leadership, led by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, to bring the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to order, as he has continually worked to frustrate the APC in Zamfara.

“The National Leadership of the APC should take note of our earlier publication, which highlighted that Matawalle has been financing the failure of the APC in Zamfara since the 2023 election season. Even now, he has been actively involved in the so-called mega party project with the opposition group.

“We want to make it very clear that Aminu Jaji has been a committed APC member all his life and has no intention of defecting from the APC, as it is a project he has invested heavily in,” Kaura added.

According to him, the APC in Zamfara, led by Isiyaka Ajiya Anka, will remain steadfast in ensuring that enemies of the APC are blocked from aiding the opposition’s success.

“Aminu Sani Jaji and his millions of supporters will remain with the APC and President Tinubu at all costs and will continue to resist any campaign of calumny aimed at tarnishing the hard-earned reputation of the Federal lawmaker in the state,” he said.