Sen. Kabiru Marafa
By Abdul Hassan
Former Sen. Kabiru Marafa (APC-Zamfara Central), who served as the State Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation in the 2023 Presidential Elections, has announced his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Marafa, who represented Zamfara Central in the Senate from 2011 to 2019, said his decision to quit the party was borne out of what he described as President Bola Tinubu’s “use-and-dump” style of leadership.
The decision follows a two-day meeting of the Senator Kabiru Marafa Consultative Forum, which drew supporters from all 14 local government areas of the state.
The two-day meeting, which held in Kaduna from Aug. 27 to 28, 2025, deliberated on the worsening security, political, and developmental challenges in Zamfara.
At the end of the meeting, the Forum issued a communiqué signed by its chairman, Comrde Bashir Mafara; Secretary, Dr Mannir Tsafe; and several other members.
The communiqué recalled that under Marafa’s coordination, President Tinubu won the 2023 presidential election in Zamfara.
It said that at the peak of the campaign, Marafa had assured Tinubu that there was no need to visit Zamfara, as he would deliver the state’s votes — a promise he fulfilled.
However, the group expressed regret that despite this loyalty and contribution, Zamfara State has allegedly suffered neglect under Tinubu’s administration.
The communiqué highlighted several grievances: The Forum decried the escalating insecurity in Zamfara, citing recent reports that the state topped the list of kidnappings nationwide in 2024.
Out of 4,722 recorded abductions across Nigeria, Zamfara accounted for 1,203 cases.
In just one week after a bye-election, 25 villages were reportedly attacked, with 145 people kidnapped and 21 killed.
It condemned what it described as the use of security forces to secure electoral victory for the APC in Kaura Namoda bye-election, while failing to protect lives in the same communities devastated by banditry.
The communique further said that in spite of delivering victory for Tinubu, Zamfara received only a Minister of State appointment, while other Northwest states got two slots each.
The Forum noted that states where Tinubu lost — especially Lagos — enjoyed more ministerial and developmental patronage, describing this as a deliberate neglect.
Unlike other states affected by insecurity where the President personally intervened with visits and financial aid, Zamfara has allegedly been ignored, leaving victims without federal support.
The group accused the ruling party’s national leadership of sidelining Marafa’s political structure, contrary to APC’s founding principles of fairness, equity, and inclusiveness.
“After exhaustive consultations and a critical review of prevailing circumstances, the Forum resolved as follows:
“That the entire political structure of Sen. Kabiru Marafa across the 147 wards of Zamfara has formally resigned from the APC in protest against “sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalisation, and deliberate neglect” of the state and its people.
“The next political move of the structure would be announced soon, guided by the collective interest of the good people of Zamfara,” the communique reads in part.
