IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR, AS MAN DEFEATS FATHER-IN-LAW IN ZAMFARA GUBER RACE
For those who follow the political situation in Zamfara State, it was not by surprise when son in-law, Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, defeated his farther in-law, out-going Governor Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi in the April 26 governorship polls.
The battle was not just between the All Nigeria Peoples Party [ANPP] and the [Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], but between godfarther and former governor Ahmed Sani Yarima and godson Shinkafi.
Many reasons have been given for the political face-off between Yarima and Shinkafi. The governor's supporters alleged that Yarima wanted to be remote-controlling him. But Yarima denied saying Shinkafi deviated from 'Yarima's school of taught which centered on development and welfarism.' Shinkafi was perhaps the only deputy governor that succeeded his boss in the 2007 general elections.
How Shinkafi started
Shinkafi was adjudged to have started on a very good footing as governor. He had assumed with a passionate resolve to build infrastructure in the state that had been neglected by his predecessor. And he performed a remarkable job within his first year in office so much that his administration earned the sobriquet of 'A Gani A Kasa', meaning 'project of reality.' His supporters even claimed his performance within the year far outpaced that of Yarima's eight years in office. Then Shinkafi's relationship with his former boss, now Senator Yarima turned sour, and then bitter. While Shinkafi accused Yarima of undermining his government, the senator accused the governor of biting the fingers that fed him.
When Zamfara ANPP revived
The ANPP in Zamfara State was a shadow of its former self after Shinkafi's decampment to PDP. The action dealt a deadly blow to the once ruling party. Before the just-concluded general elections, it was assumed that ANPP did not have the financial strength to fight an incumbent governor. But with Abdul-aziz Yari backed by Yarima as the party leader, ANPP was revived using its welfare tactics. Before the elections, some pundits believed that Yarima lacked the kind of financial muscle to make a serious impact.
Yarima's Days
When Yarima was drafted by All Peoples Party (APP) now ANPP, he attractede to himself all the major players and loyalists of political godfathers in the state. And it really worked like magic. Nobody would have thought that powerful figures like General Aliyu Gusau, ex-minister M. Z. Anka, former civilian governors Garba Nadama and Yahaya Abdulkarim, Jabbi Maradun, the late Sule Zurmi, Samaila Garkuwan Maradun, etc would all roll into one political platform and be defeated by a young man who only appeared out of the blues without any political history.
But Yarima made that history. He defeated the mighty Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in which all these big wigs belonged, and he did that with an unprecedented wide margin to become the first civilian governor of Zamfara State. By 2003 when Yarima repeated a landslide victory and got re-elected, PDP could not secure a single councillorship seat in the state. With all the powerful personalities in the party and being the ruling party at the federal level. This was the scenario until 2007 when Shinkafi, Yarima's deputy governor, emerged the ANPP governorship flag bearer. He subsequently won the election, defeating Malam Yahaya Abdulkarim of the PDP now a defeated senator.
Yari defeats father-in-law
Yari was declared winner of the governorship election defeating his farther in-law the incumbent Governor Mamuda Shinkafi. He polled 514,962 votes against Shinkafi's 460,656 votes. The state returning officer who is also Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Idris Isa Funtua, described the election as peaceful:
'I, Professor Idris Isa Funtua the returning officer of the Zamfara State governorship election hereby declared that, Alhaji Abdual'aziz Yari of the ANPP, having met all the requirements and scoring high votes in the Tuesday governorship election is hereby declared as the governor-elect for Zamfara State.' Yari who got majority votes in seven local councils of the state in addition acquired more than 25% in 13 out of 14 local councils in the state.
Shinkafi congratulates son-in-law
Shinkafi ongratulated his son-in-law and all those who won various elective positions in the state: 'I would like to extend my sincere congratulation to the governor-elect, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, and all those who won various elective posts in the state from PDP and ANPP. Iwish them God's guidance in the discharge of their responsibilities that this election reposed on them.'
The outgoing governor called on all the citizens of the state to remain calm and law. He maintained that he would remain dedicated to the progress and development of the state and well being of the people.