APC e-registration: Shinkafi decries exclusion

…asks Tinubu to scrap seat of Minister of State Defense

Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara state, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has alleged exclusion from the ongoing e-registration exercise.

Speaking with journalists at the ruling party national secretariat on Tuesday, Shinkafi accused a former governor of the state and serving minister of state defense, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, of pushing for the exclusion of certain chieftains of the party in the North west state in order to hijack the party structures ahead 2027 governorship elections.

Checks revealed that a member of the House of Representatives and governorship aspirant, Honourable Aminu Sani Jaji raised a similar allegation against the minister of state defense recently when he met the APC national chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda.

Shinkafi urged the APC National Chairman to rein in Honourable Matawale.

He said, “Party politics is by interest. Nigerian constitution guarantees any citizen of this country to belong to any political party of his choice.

“But my own choice is to remain in APC. But somebody who felt that he is within the the corridor of power, he wants to hijack the structure of the party by all means to contest for election.

“While you have been a governor, you have the machinery to fight and you were defeated by somebody who was in the banking sector, who has never been in politics.

“He came and defeated you in the gubernatorial election and you expect that you can now go back and reclaim that mandate.

“So, what we are saying, the party in the party constitution, it was clearly stated in the articles of the party, APC constitution on how a member of the party should be registered.

“When you attain the age of 18 years, when you are a Nigerian, and when you are not holding dual party membership, then you can be registered.

“I am more than qualified by the virtue of my age, by the virtue of my education, by the virtue of my political profile to be registered based on these criteria spelt out in the party constitution. No ambiguity.”

The party chieftain called on President Tinubu to ease out Matawale from the Federal Executive Council by scrapping the portfolio of minister of state for Defence.

“I have spent time with a number of print and electronic media, calling for removal and the scrapping of the office of the Minister of State for Defence. Because the senior minister for Defence, Christopher Musa, he is equal to the task.

“He has the experience, he has the educational background, and the qualifications to handle the national defence and security of this country.

“So, removing Matawale from the Federal Executive Council is not a bad idea because he is the one who is hatching acts of hatred, disunity, lack of cohesion, fragmentation in Zamfara APC.

“Mr. President has to put the house in order in Zamfara State.”