“2027 Countdown: Tinubu’s Campaign Suffers Defection Shock In Zamfara”

Marafa Resigns from APC, Accuses Tinubu of Betrayal — According to iReporter Online

Senator Kabiru Marafa, the Zamfara State Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation during the 2023 presidential election, has officially resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing betrayal and marginalisation by President Bola Tinubu. His resignation also includes the exit of his political structure, marking a significant political shift in Zamfara State.

According to iReporter Online, Marafa, who represented Zamfara Central Senatorial District from 2011 to 2019, accused President Tinubu of being a “use-and-dump leader,” claiming that both he and Zamfara State were abandoned after the 2023 elections despite delivering a decisive victory for the APC. Notably, during the campaign, Marafa had confidently told Tinubu not to bother visiting Zamfara, assuring him that the state was already secured.

In a communiqué issued after a two-day meeting held on August 27 and 28 in Kaduna by the Senator Kabiru Marafa Consultative Forum, the group announced their mass resignation from the APC. The communiqué, signed by Bashir Mafara, Mannir Tsafe, and seven others, cited sustained injustice, political exclusion, and worsening insecurity as key reasons for their decision.

“The entire structure, with all its supporters, hereby formally resigns from the All Progressives Congress in protest against the sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalisation, and deliberate neglect of Zamfara State and its people,” the forum stated.

According to iReporter Online, the group also highlighted the dire security situation in Zamfara. Referencing national abduction statistics, they pointed out that out of 4,722 kidnapped persons in 2024, 1,203 were from Zamfara alone—making it the worst-hit state. They further cited local data indicating that 25 villages were attacked in a single week, with 145 people abducted and 21 killed across six local government areas.

The forum condemned the federal government’s response to these crises, accusing it of deploying massive security forces during the recent Kaura Namoda bye-election only to withdraw them immediately after the poll—allowing attacks to resume.

On the issue of political appointments, the group expressed outrage that Zamfara was only offered a Minister of State slot, while states like Lagos—where Tinubu lost in 2023—received multiple full cabinet positions.

According to iReporter Online, the forum described this as “deliberate marginalisation” and a betrayal of the loyalty shown by Zamfara voters during the election.

They also criticised Tinubu for not visiting Zamfara or offering aid in the wake of persistent banditry, unlike his swift responses to other states facing less severe crises.

The communiqué concluded that the APC’s treatment of Zamfara violated the founding principles of fairness, equity, and justice, adding that the forum would soon announce its next political move based on the collective interest of the state.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”