Why Tinubu must intervene in Zamfara APC’s crisis -Shinkafi

By editor

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and member of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, to urgently intervene in crisis and widening divisions within the party in Zamfara State.

Shinkafi speaking on behalf of the Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development (PAPSD), appealed to party leaders at all levels, including the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to jettison personal rivalries and work towards resolving the crisis and uniting the APC in the state.

He said the growing tensions among key stakeholders in the state were threatening the APC’s cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections, and unless the leadership promotes dialogue and reconciliation, the party risks repeating the mistakes that cost it power in 2023 in the state.

“It is important for all leaders, including former governors and serving ministers, to come together and rebuild the APC in Zamfara. We need cooperation, not competition, if the party is to move forward.

“The internal rivalries and factionalism could once again hand victory to the opposition if left unresolved. A house divided against itself cannot stand. We must stop the cycle of internal rivalry and focus on rebuilding trust among our members,” Shinkafi said.

He said that the Zamfara APC had been plagued by deep-seated internal wrangling since losing the 2023 governorship election to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Shinkafi noted that he had deliberately stepped back from some political activities in a bid to ease tensions and allow room for genuine reconciliation.

He, however said that former Governor Matawalle was rather fueling the internal crisis within the APC that contributed to the party’s defeat in the 2023 governorship election.

He said that instead of focusing on strengthening the party and mobilising new members, Matawalle has been engaged in internal battles with other prominent APC leaders, attempting to hijack all party structures in the state through a ‘divide-and-rule’ strategy.

He said that Matawalle’s approach to politics has already caused factional divisions, leading to multiple parallel leaderships within the Zamfara APC, including those loyal to Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, Senator Kabiru Marafa, and other stakeholders.

He said, “Political blocs loyal to various power brokers; including Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, Senator Kabiru Marafa, and several former governors, had been working in isolation instead of pulling together to strengthen the party’s grassroots structures.”

He also said that to complement this reconciliation effort, he recently launched a new grassroots platform known as the Wamban Shinkafi Democratic Front, to promote dialogue, political participation, and youth mobilisation across Zamfara’s 14 local government areas.

Reaffirming his loyalty to the ruling party and his support for President Tinubu’s administration, Shinkafi expressed optimism that with sincerity, inclusiveness, and collective responsibility, the APC could bounce back stronger before the next election cycle.

He urged President Tinubu and Prof Yilwatda to initiate a structured peace process that would bring all major stakeholders in the Zamfara APC under one umbrella of trust and mutual respect.