The political landscape in Zamfara took a dramatic turn as Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa, former Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation in the 2023 presidential election, resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of betrayal and describing him as a “use-and-dump” leader.
Marafa’s exit followed a two-day meeting of his political base, the Senator Kabiru Marafa Consultative Forum, held in Kaduna on August 27–28, where a communiqué was issued announcing the resignation of the Senator and his entire political structure across Zamfara’s 147 wards.
The Forum, chaired by Bashir Muhammad Mafara and signed by Secretary Dr. Mannir Bature Tsafe, decried what it described as sustained injustice, marginalisation, and deliberate neglect of Zamfara State despite its overwhelming support for Tinubu in the 2023 election.
The statement noted that Zamfara, which has borne the brunt of banditry, recorded 1,203 kidnappings in 2024 out of 4,722 cases nationwide. In just one week after a bye-election in the state, bandits reportedly attacked 25 villages, killing 21 persons and abducting 145. The Forum accused the Federal Government of neglecting these humanitarian and security crises while deploying the military and security agencies to “deliver electoral victories” instead.
Adding to their grievances, Marafa’s group cited the unfair distribution of federal appointments, pointing out that Zamfara was given only one ministerial slot at the level of Minister of State, while other Northwest states secured two. According to the Forum, states that President Tinubu lost in 2023, including Lagos, have since benefited from more appointments and infrastructure projects, while Zamfara has been sidelined.
Speaking further in a Hausa video message, Senator Marafa accused the APC of betrayal and deep-rooted disunity, referencing the unresolved factional crisis between the Mai Mala Buni and Bello Matawalle camps that has weakened the party in Zamfara for over two years. He lamented that despite repeated promises, Tinubu failed to reward the state for its loyalty.
“This is a clear case of use and dump. Zamfara gave Tinubu one of his highest votes, but our people have been abandoned to their fate,” Marafa fumed.
The Forum disclosed that consultations are ongoing with other political forces, and Marafa would announce his new party “in due course,” with a focus on securing the interests of Zamfara’s people.
Observers believe the Senator’s exit, alongside his entire political structure, marks a significant blow to the APC in the North-West ahead of the 2027 elections, potentially reshaping the region’s political alliances.