By Hussaini Yero The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to recent comments made by former Senator Ka...
By Hussaini Yero
The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to recent comments made by former Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa, in which he threatened to deny President Bola Ahmed Tinubu one million votes in the 2027 presidential election—votes he claimed to have secured for the President in 2023.
In a statement signed by the APC State Chairman, Hon. Tukur Umar Danfulani, the party dismissed Marafa’s claims as baseless, laughable, and a desperate attempt by a failed politician to remain relevant.
"Let us remind Nigerians that Senator Marafa was roundly rejected by his constituents in 2019, a defeat from which he is yet to recover. Even in the 2023 elections, where he made several unsubstantiated claims, he could not win his own constituency—let alone secure a significant number of votes for the party or the President," Danfulani said.
He explained that the APC’s victory in the 2023 presidential election in Zamfara was largely due to the influence and leadership of respected party stalwarts such as the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, and Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, among others—not Marafa.
"Matawalle, who served as the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council Coordinator for the Northwest, initially recommended Marafa as the state coordinator. This was reluctantly approved—not because he deserved it, but out of party considerations. Despite this, Marafa failed woefully at all levels and has since resorted to causing internal strife, aligning himself with other disgruntled elements until they, too, realised his selfish motives and abandoned him."
Danfulani further noted that the APC in Zamfara remains strong, united, and more strategic than ever, which was evident in the party's recent landslide victory in the Kaura Namoda South State House of Assembly bye-election—achieved without any contribution from Marafa.
"It is absurd for Marafa, who couldn’t win his ward in Yandoton Daji, his local government in Tsafe, or his senatorial district, to now claim he has the power to remove one million votes from President Tinubu's tally. For context, the total votes cast in Zamfara during the 2023 presidential election didn’t even approach one million."
Danfulani ridiculed Marafa’s boasts, recalling how he once bragged that even his political boys could defeat Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis in an election—only for them to lose despite supplementary polls being conducted.
"Senator Marafa is nothing more than a toothless bulldog—barking loudly, but incapable of biting. His political career has been defined by betrayal, selfishness, and manipulation, and the consequences of those actions are now catching up with him."
He also revealed that in 2011, it was Senator Yari who sponsored Marafa’s election into the Senate. In his second attempt, he met stiff resistance from his local leaders and only secured the ticket due to the intervention of then-Deputy Governor Mallam Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad.
"What the public expected from Senator Marafa in his interview was transparency—he should have told the nation how many votes he personally garnered in 2023 before claiming credit for President Tinubu’s victory."
Danfulani claimed Marafa has lost support even within his own household, which is why he now depends on media campaigns to generate sympathy—sympathy that, he said, no longer exists among the people of Zamfara.
"We challenge him to return to Zamfara and test his popularity at the grassroots. We are confident he would be met with rejection and ridicule. His recent utterances are nothing but the frustrations of a man who failed at the polls and was overlooked for appointments in the current administration."
"Ordinarily, we would not respond to a politician of his current standing. However, since he has chosen to attack the President in such an uncivilised and disrespectful manner, we felt it necessary to set the record straight."
Danfulani concluded by reaffirming the strength of the APC in Zamfara, noting that the party remains formidable, united, and focused on delivering victories and development across the state.
“No amount of propaganda or media noise from failed politicians will distract us from our mission. The recent by-election victory in Kaura Namoda South is just one example of what lies ahead.”
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