Reasons have surfaced as to why Ahmed Sani Yari, the former governor of Zamfara State and a presidential candidate, was unable to clear the votes of delegates from his state during the recently concluded APC presidential election.
Although Yarima was the doyen of Zamfara politics, according to one of the delegates who declined to reveal his identity, he has lost his political relevance due to a number of issues.
In an interview with dsmedia24 in Gusau, the State capital, the politician said that due to the former Governor’s parochial political style, about 90 percent of Zamfara State indigenes have lost political interest in him.
“We are all aware of Senator Ahmed Sani Yarima’s anti-party activities during the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan.”
“Senator Yarima said he was not a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but in 2015 he traveled to Saudi Arabia with 53 Islamic clerics to pray for Jonathan against the APC, which he claimed to be his party.”
The irony of the situation is that senator Ahmed Sani Yarima is a Muslim, while former President Goodluck Jonathan is a Christian; how can such a mix work so well?
“This, along with other political issues involving Senator Yarima, effectively ended his political dynasty in the State.” Even the senator’s constituents cannot speak well of him.”
He went on to say that when Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle, former Governor Abdul Aziz Yari, and senator Kabiru Garba Marafa were having political issues inside the APC in the state, which he claimed led to the party factionalizing, Yarima refused to patch up the gaps in the party’s walls.
“Yarima, who claims to be the doyen of Zamfara politics, couldn’t bring the warring factions to heel because he created them all politically, but he established an unholy alliance with Governor Matawalle.”
“Of the only four votes he received from Zamfara State delegates, two came from Bakura, his own Local Government Area, while the other two came from Anka, where his mother was born.”
He said that over twenty-five delegates backed the state’s new political godfather, former Governor Abdul Aziz Yari, claiming they will “follow him wherever he goes politically.”
“Though Senator Ahmed Sani Yarima catapulted former Governor Abdul Aziz Yari into the political spotlight, Yari has demoted Yarima to the political background since Yarima sold his political importance.”
