Former Zamfara gov, Shinkafi, defects to APC

Former Zamfara State governor, Alhaji Mamuda Shinkafi, has formally declared from PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Shinkafi defected to APC with some of his cabinet members in Gusau on Sunday.

A strong ally of former governor of the state, Ahmed Sani, where he served as his deputy governor and subsequently became the first deputy governor in the country to succeed his boss.

However, Shinkafi, who became the state governor in 2007 on the platform of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2008.

He however lost to the APC incumbent governor, Alh Abdulaziz Yari, in 2011 and again was defeated by Yari in 2015 governorship election.

Shinkafi who is an in-law of Zamfara state governor, Yari announced his decision to join the APC because of the leadership crisis bedeviling the party which directly affected the fortunes of the party at the state level.

According to him, after a wide consultation with his supporters, it became apparent that the APC remain the only platform for him to actualise his political ambition.

Shinkafi told the teeming crowd that all his former cabinet members, including his former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Mamman Bawa, had joined him in the APC.

Thus, his return to the APC might be unconnected to re-elect him as governor in the 2019 elections.