The Zamfara State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that Senator Kabiru Marafa remained suspended, insisting that the party had suspended him since 2019.
The State APC Chairman, Alhaji Lawal Liman, stated this while reacting to the recent comments credited to Senator Marafa while accusing the National Caretaker Committee of the party.
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Liman said that; “as far as we are concern, the APC in Zamfara, Senator Marafa remains suspended because, since 2019 we suspended him in accordance with the party’s constitution and our decision has been forwarded to the APC National Headquarters, Abuja.
“We are calling on the National caretaker committee of the party to ratify his suspension.
“Therefore, members of the public should not regard him as a member of the APC.
“We don’t consider Marafa as our member because he is being used by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to distract peace and stability in the party.
“Even by disobeying the party’s National Executive Council (NEC), that should be enough reason to know that Marafa is not wishing the APC well,” Liman said.
He described the recent comments by Senator Marafa accusing the national leadership of the party as uncalled for.
“We are calling on the National caretaker committee to take appropriate action against him.
“He should be treated as opposition.
“We condemn the statement and distance ourselves from any call against National leadership of the party,” Liman explained.
He said that the Zamfara State APC is behind the National leadership of the party, adding that: “we commend the Maimala Buni’s committee for repositioning the party.”
Marafa’s allegation
On Sunday, Senator Marafa had called on Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the APC, Mai Mala Buni, to organise the party’s national convention in December, in line with the mandate given to the committee, or quit.
Buni’s committee was inaugurated in June, 2020, and saddled with the responsibility of administering the party’s affairs and organising a national convention within six months, following the dissolution of the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC).
Many APC stalwarts and groups are mounting pressure on Buni’s committee to organise a national convention where a new crop of National Working Committee (NWC) members will emerge.
Lending his voice in a statement on Sunday, Marafa said the decision of the committee to conduct membership registration was clearly outside its mandate, describing it as diversionary and an attempt by Buni to perpetuate himself in office.
Marafa, who is leading a faction of the APC in Zamfara State, said [to Buni]: “Don’t overstretch your luck, we are not afraid of you.
“Many of us are aware that your appointment is unconstitutional, [section 17(iv) of our party’s constitution is very clear].
“We only kept quiet because of the respect we have for the President, and the belief that the party needs to open a new page.
“Be informed that any action you take outside your primary mandate of organising a convention that will usher in a new set of executives will be null, void and of no effect whatsoever.
“You have up to December to do the needful or we chase you out.
“Your state needs you more than the party.
“Go and administer your state, you can’t be Governor and Chairman of APC at the same time. It’s unconstitutional.
“We are eager to witness the emergence of a responsible leadership, a leadership we all can trust, a leadership that will carry every member, every section, every tribe along, not the type that leads by deceit and lies,” he had said.
