Zamfara state gubernatorial candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Rep Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, has threatened to lead a massive protest against the state government, if it persists in the arrest and detention of politicians who voluntarily decamped to his party, or any other opposition political party in the state.
Addressing thousands of ANPP supporters in the state capital, Gusau, on Monday, during the formal presentations of candidates for the 2011 general elections, Yari warned that, his party would no longer tolerate further arrest and detention of its members, “that is part of the deliberate plans to intimidate and demoralise the opposition in the state.”
Yari, who was apparently reacting to a statement by the state PDP Secretary Alhaji Musa Zubairu, which announced a setting up of a committee by the government, to deal with any government functionary, who failed to support the PDP and work against its planned victory, for the 2011 general elections.
According to Zubairu, the committee, headed by a member representing Maradun/Bakura federal constituency, Rep Muhammad Bello Matawalle would ensure that, whoever served in the present government and dumped it for another party, would be brought before the law, if he was found wanting, during his service period with the government.
Speaking at the event, one of the two state commissioners, who defected from the PDP to ANPP, Engineer Kabir Garba Marafa, challenged the committee to begin its assignment with him, “if they are equal to the task,” adding that, “if anybody feels that he can win elections though intimidation and harassment, I am ready to face him.”
Marafa was the former commissioner for water resources in the state, who is now the ANPP candidate for the senatorial seat of the Zamfara-Central zone, against the incumbent Senator Hassan Nasiha, who is also contesting for the second term, on the platform of PDP.
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