Yari

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Senator Kabiru Marafa has said that the Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari is not an indigene of the state.

Governor Yari and Marafa have been at loggerheads over Ahmad Bello Mahmud, who was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari for confirmation as a Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While Governor Yari argued that the nominee who was to represent Zamfara State in INEC should not be confirmed by the Senate because he was not from the state, Marafa insisted that he should be allowed to represent the state.

Yari had in a letter he personally signed, asked President Buhari to drop Mahmud whom he said hails from Sokoto State and replace him with Alhaji Sani Garba Gusau.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Suleiman Nasif consequently recommended the rejection of the nominee which was approved by the Upper Chamber.

On Thursday however, Senator Marafa raised a point of order, alleging that the Governor’s parents, like those of the rejected nominee were not indigenes of Zamfara State, to the amusement of the lawmakers.

“It is very clear that the only opposition to this nominee is coming from the Governor of Zamfara State who wrote to the President that the nominee is not from Zamfara State but from Sokoto State. The Governor’s forefathers and parents are also not from Zamfara State,” Senator Marafa affirmed.