Former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmed Sani Yarima, has claimed that there was no premerger zoning agreement in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to threaten his ambition for the 2023 presidential
election.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, the chieftain of the ruling party, maintained that even if there was zoning agreement, such arrangement is not binding on him nor superior to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which permits every citizen to aspire to any position in the country.
While confirming that he will contest in 2023 presidential election, he dismissed the insinuation that zoning agreement or coming from the same geographical zone with President Muhammadu Buhari will affect his ambition.
“You see, I don’t think there is anything like agreement. You can ask Mr President, he led the group, Asiwaju was there, I was part of it, there was no meeting I didn’t attend or any meeting that I attended that there was such agreement. Agreement can’t be verbal, it has to be written.
“In any case, any agreement that is contrary to laws of this country is not an agreement. The Constitution is very clear, the Constitution of the political parties, the Electoral Act. We are in a democracy and democracy is governed by processes and procedures and by laws. So the Constitution of Nigeria doesn’t recognize anything called zoning and likewise check APC Constitution.
“If there is that agreement why didn’t we put it in the Constitution? So nobody will just come and say that there is an agreement, take your Constitution and amend it, put that agreement if there is then nobody will come from another side and work against the Constitution. As a democrat, as a citizen of Nigeria, I can aspire based on the laws of Nigeria.
“The Nigerian Constitution has given rights and privilege to every citizen which believes he has something to offer to aspire for any office, irrespective of his state of origin, his tribe, ethnicity, religion; you have right, the Constitution has given us guarantee to participate in the political process,” he insisted.
Asked the fairnes and equity in contesting having come from the same geographical zone with President Muhammadu Buhari who has done eight years, he replied: “Can I give you example of America, George Bush (Snr) was President, George Bush (Jnr) became President. They are from the same family not from the same state, not from the same zone. This is democracy, if Nigerians decides to vote for Yarima, so it be.”
On the Governors of North-West States unduly romancing insurgents and bandits by way of granting amnesty to them, he said that both amnesty, stick and carrot should be employed.
“Initially I was in support of negotiations because I have seen that negotiations had worked in the Niger Delta issue. We got amnesty programme and that why we have peace in the Niger Delta. So anything that will bring peace and stability, I think it should be considered.
“However, the Governors should employ carrot and stick approach, talking to them and where necessary, use military and police power to ensure that all those erring members of the indigents who refused to accept the agreement reached between them and government are brought to book. So that’s what they need to do,” he said.
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