Why Marafa should team up with Lawal in PDP, By Suleman Ahmad Tudu

The resignation of Kabiru Garba Marafa from the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reawakened governmental debates and 2027 permutations crossed Zamfara State and beyond. Mr Marafa represented Zamfara Central Senatorial territory from 2011 to 2019 connected the level of the APC.

Mr Marafa’s long-overdue exit did not travel to maine arsenic a surprise. I had ever foreseen it. In fact, I erstwhile subjected Zamfara APC to what I termed a “miscibility test,” lone to observe a heterogeneous substance of “immiscible actors” – politicians who could co-exist connected the aforesaid level but were destined to abstracted into chiseled layers.

Back successful March 2024, I predicted that 2 of the party’s salient figures –Mr Marafa and Mr Sani Jaji – who shared akin progressive ideals, would yet beryllium forced retired by those with contrary interests. Today, that prediction appears to beryllium coming true.

I person ever admired Mr Marafa for his courage, boldness, and doggedness, peculiarly during the celebrated G-8 struggle. His outspoken quality successful the reddish enclosure earned him nationalist recognition, and his involution successful securing a N10 cardinal appropriation for Zamfara State successful the 2019 budget, successful effect to the devastation caused by banditry, remains commendable. He besides empowered countless constituents, which speaks volumes astir his committedness to service.

However, Mr Marafa’s top undoing, and possibly his astir costly governmental miscalculation, was buying into the APC’s deceptive and hopeless “Sulhu” arrangement, a detour that importantly eroded his popularity successful Zamfara.

His caller resignation from the APC, a enactment that failed to present bully governance portion successful powerfulness and has since failed to supply liable absorption successful the state, is undoubtedly a affirmative measurement towards his governmental redemption. But overmuch volition beryllium connected what his adjacent determination is. As acquisition has shown, remaining successful the incorrect institution tin destruct adjacent the astir promising careers.

It is against this backdrop that I humbly impulse the erstwhile Senator to articulation forces with Governor Dauda Lawal successful the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reposition Zamfara for progress.

The reasons for this telephone are clear. Both men were erstwhile comrades successful the G-8 conjugation that resisted erstwhile Governor Abdulaziz Yari’s alleged selfish imposition of candidates wrong the APC. Their reunion contiguous could beryllium to beryllium the game-changer Zamfara desperately needs.

Despite its manageable interior challenges, the PDP remains Nigeria’s astir formidable nationalist party, with beardown grassroots structures crossed Zamfara and the state astatine large. This level would springiness Mr Marafa a coagulated instauration to rebuild his governmental relevance.

By teaming up with Governor Lawal, Mr Marafa would not lone fortify the governor’s re-election prospects but besides presumption himself arsenic a cardinal contributor to the ongoing rescue and consolidation task successful Zamfara, and beyond 2027.

It is worthy recalling that Mr Marafa erstwhile belonged to the PDP. Returning present would truthful beryllium a governmental homecoming, restoring him to a acquainted fold. By contrast, joining a smaller enactment without grassroots enactment – specified arsenic an African Democratic Congress (ADC)-led conjugation – would beryllium politically unwise, arsenic it is improbable to output meaningful impact.

In my view, Mr Marafa has an accidental to leverage Governor Lawal’s rising popularity and the PDP’s operation to redeem his governmental lasting and lend towards the greater Zamfara we each imagination of. I sincerely anticipation the distinguished legislator volition bespeak connected this connection with the urgency it deserves.

• Mr Suleman Tudu is simply a Senior Special Assistant connected Media, Office of the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government. He tin beryllium reached via Read Entire Article