Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’aziz Yari, on Friday said all he wanted from the national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress was justice as regards the party’s primaries held in his state.
He insisted that contrary to the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission, primaries were held in the state.
Yari spoke in an interview with State House correspondents after a meeting he had with President Muhammadu Buhari shortly after the Jumat prayers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje; and his Ogun State counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun, also met with the President in what was believed to be part of measures to resolve the crises arising from the party’s primaries across the country.
Speaking, Yari said there was no truth in the reports suggesting that he would dump the ruling party, though he admitted he was under pressure to quit.
He said, “No. I don’t know whether that (his reported plan to quit) is a joke or otherwise. But for me, if you check my history since 1998, APP; and 2002 when Buhari joined the ANPP; and 2015 APC. There was no time that I defected from one party to another. That is not in my culture.
“So, the issue of leaving the party is not true. But some people are sending rumour through the social media. I have seen my picture with the PDP and other parties.
“Yes, I cannot deny it. There is pressure from the people that we should leave the APC but what I told them was that what we were looking for is justice.
“We conducted election. But I think for anybody to come under the national secretariat and say he is going to nominate a candidate is a huge joke.”
Yari claimed the party national leadership wanted the primaries cancelled because the result was not what they wanted.
The governor said the issue had already been taken to court and that the case was coming up next week.
He said, “When the chairman of the committee came out and said there was no election in Zamfara State, we realised it was going to be a litigation issue. We quickly rushed to court and the case is coming up next week.
“So, I think that is the only saving grace for the party and INEC for court of competent jurisdiction to give judgement on Zamfara’s matter. So, there was an election.”
