By Obinna Uballa
A major crack has emerged in President Bola Tinubu’s Northern political base as a key stakeholder and former Zamfara Central Senator, Kabiru Garba Marafa, together with his supporters, have all resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the president of betrayal and neglect.
Marafa, who reportedly coordinated the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation in Zamfara during the 2023 presidential election, announced his exit after a two-day meeting of the Senator Kabiru Marafa Consultative Forum in Kaduna on August 27 and 28, respectively.
The meeting, attended by representatives from all 14 local government areas of Zamfara, was said to have reviewed the state’s security and political situation.
In a communique signed by its chairman, Comrade Bashir Muhammad Mafara, and secretary, Dr. Mannir Bature Tsafe, respectively, the Forum expressed disappointment over what it described as President Tinubu’s “use-and-dump” leadership style.
The Forum recalled that Marafa had assured Tinubu during the campaign that he would deliver Zamfara’s votes, a pledge he fulfilled without Tinubu visiting the state.
However, the group lamented that despite this loyalty, Zamfara has allegedly suffered neglect under the current administration.
The communiqué cited rising insecurity as a major grievance, noting that Zamfara topped the national kidnapping chart in 2024 with 1,203 cases out of 4,722 abductions nationwide. It said that within a week after a recent bye-election, bandits attacked 25 villages, kidnapping 145 people and killing 21.
The group also condemned the alleged use of security forces to secure APC’s victory in Kaura Namoda bye-election, while failing to protect lives in communities ravaged by banditry.
On political appointments, the Forum faulted Tinubu for giving Zamfara only a Minister of State position, while other Northwest states got two full ministers each. It also alleged that states where Tinubu lost, especially Lagos, enjoyed more ministerial and developmental patronage.
Unlike other crisis-hit states where the president intervened with visits and financial aid, Zamfara has allegedly been ignored, the Forum said, leaving victims of attacks without federal support.
The communiqué accused the APC national leadership of sidelining Marafa’s political structure, contrary to the party’s founding principles of fairness and inclusiveness.
After what it called “exhaustive consultations,” the Forum announced that Marafa’s entire political structure across Zamfara’s 147 wards had resigned from the APC in protest against “sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalisation, and deliberate neglect.”
It added that the group would announce its next political move soon, guided by the collective interest of Zamfara people.
