An Appraisal of Yari’s Qualificatiins for APC National Chairmananship

Mika’ilu Barau presents a catalogue of virtues that recommends former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’Azeez Yari for the National Chairmananship of the All Progressives Congress

One of the requirements of good governance in the context of democracy like ours is building virile party structures. Twenty two years since the return of democracy, we have witnessed a lot of permutations around what it takes to build enduring political parties. It will be an interesting study for political Science students to examine how different parties in the country fared under different Chairpersons. At least, whether for good or bad, the reign of Adams Oshiomhole as the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) and the subsequent interim role of Governor Mai Mala Buni have demonstrated two different styles of party leadership -one overtly aggressive and the other covertly so to mention one among many differences.

As the processes of selecting substantive party leaders for the ruling APC commence, the former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’Azeez Yari Abubakar, happens to be one of the earliest and leading contenders. In this piece, I enumerate five reasons that make Yari a perfect fit for the post from his personal attributes and experience.

Long and Relevant Political Experience
Since 1999, Yari has been a chieftain of the political group that produced today’s APC. He was the Secretary and later Chairman of ANPP in Zamfara State; National Financial Secretary of ANPP; Member of the National Assembly and Chairman Debt Management Committee in the house under the party; two term Governor and Chair of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum on the same platform. These are political credentials that can hardly be matched by any other contender. It is also instructive to note that Yari was a member of the defunct Democratic People’s Movement in 1995 and was only stopped from contesting the post of State Assembly by age factor as he was only 27 then.

Record of Good Performance as Governor
Whoever knows Zamfara before and after Yari’s eight years as a Governor will tell the story of revolutionary infrastructural development in form of roads, school buildings and water supply to mention only a few areas. Permit me to challenge that no Governor in Nigeria constructed as many roads as Yari did from 1999 to date. Here is the list of the first batch of roads: Wanke-Danjibga-Bilbis-Kucheri at some N8.3 billion: Gummi-Gyalange-Gayari road (33.5km) at N2.8 billion; Yandoto-Shemori-Mada road (11.9km) at N1.4 billion; Mayanchi-Anka-Daki Takwas-Gummi (143km) at N10.1billion; Gusau-Kaura Namoda road at 3.2 billion; Nahuche-Karakkai road at N588 million; Talata Mafara township roads at N2 billion; Gusau township road at N3.6 billion; Dualization of Eastern Bye-pass N750 million and sundry township roads in Gusau (second phase of bye-pass, Gidan Dawa, Dan Turai, Ahmadu Bello Shagari Road, GRA Ring Road) amounting to some N2 billion. In another batch, several other roads were constructed among which are Colony-Birnin Tudu-Rini-Gora-Faru-Boko; Kaura-Zurmi-Gidan Jaja; Talata-Mafara-Kagara-Tashar Awwali; and township roads in almost all the local government headquarters. The benefits of these roads are regional as they are local having linked Zamfara to all the neighbouring states of Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto with ease while facilitating internal movement from one town to another and area to another through township roads.

Talk about school buildings; in one swoop, Yari built 313 blocks of classroom and made a comprehensive rehabilitation of 56 township primary schools in 14 LGEAs with provision of ICT Centres, boreholes and VIP toilets in most of them. On water supply, Yari executed 203 rural water supply projects with solar powered boreholes and hand pump boreholes accordingly. Yari has done a lot more on infrastructural development than this piece can accommodate without being boring. In an intensive discussion with Yari, he talked about how he wants to see this replicated in Nigeria by the progressive Governors under his chairmanship.

Positive Energy and Network
Yari’s house in Abuja is like a Ministry of a sort. If you want to meet any prominent person from Zamfara, North-west and to a large extent the country just go to Yari’s house and stay. I was privileged to know this because from September 2020, my office relocated from Garki to Maitama and we happened to be on the same street. Every morning I drive pass the house, I see cars of visitors parked and the same happens when I close even with my habit of leaving office later than 10pm. Yari attend to all these. Somebody may think that it is about money; recent reasons that brought me to the house in few occasions led to realising that is a lot more about networking and consultation. To satisfy my curiosity, I dragged Yari into talking about it. He told me a story of how in 1996, his father talked about how much money he dolls out that people keep trooping to his family house on returning from business trips to Lagos. “Baba, nobody has the money to give all these people; it is about relationship” explained Yari. The same answer I got, ” I don’t have all the money to give the people that visit even today” Yari answered my interrogating self. One of Yari’s lieutenants corroborated this to me saying, “we all feel safe and connected here”.

On the other hand, Yari can arguably be described as the most mobile politician today on matters of public engagement. In a certain week in March this year, I followed a coverage of Yari’s movement in around a week time and saw him go to Katsina to commiserate with Alh. Dahiru Mangal on the demise of his son; Sokoto for the Maulud of Sheikh Inyass and Talata Mafara afterwards; Kebbi to commiserate with Alh. Abba Aliero on the demise of his wife and Kano for the wedding of Accountant General of the Federation’s daughter in addition to his usual visit to Kaduna. Kebbi’s visit was on Thursday and I came to the house in the evening. I understand that Yari observes fasting every Monday and Thursday; as he took his meal after the fasting, he led us in the early and late evening prayer at around 7pm and 8pm respectively. After that, he met with 4 groups of people with me as the last. As he invited me in, he told about 10 other groups individually to return the next day then he drove out for meetings outside his house after our discussion. In the few days I visited, this is more of a norm in Yari’s day than exception. Till today, one dares not attempt to compete with Yari in taking walking speed just as he still drives himself around Abuja. APC truly needs this kind of energy and zeal from 53 year old Yari to fulfill the promise of a party and the nation.

Pan-Nigerian Dispositon

Yari’s stint in the National Assembly and as the chair of the Governor’s forum made him a typical pan Nigerian. In the northwest, we know his homely relationship with Sokoto through Wamakko and more; Kebbi with the Aliero’s; Katsina with Mangal and Kaduna with El-Rufai to mention only what my little observation recorded. For long I knew Yari to be friend with Bankole, Ekweremadu and Rotimi Amaechi in the west, east and south-south respectively. I also am aware that Yari moves well with APC National Party Leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Vice President Osinbajo and Senate President Lawal. Again as onetime Chair of the Governor’s Forum, we know Yari to have engaged well with President Buhari and supported his programs in true Nigerian spirit and common geopolitical zone. When the insecurity in Zamfara escalated under Yari as a Governor, the number of visits paid by Buhari to the state and Yari to the villa showed two people that worked well together to deal with a common enemy.

These and more national networks Yari uses for good -note that I am least qualified to document his national and international network given my social distance during his eight year government. But at least I know that Yari engaged with people from the length and breadth of Nigeria as contractors in Zamfara and he gets same from other parts of Nigeria. And truly whatever Yari earns, a good share of it goes to Zamfara with his unprecedented benevolence. It is in record that every polling unit ate from Yari’s grain and meat during the last Ramadan and Eid even when he and his camp had no political power of any significance.

Endurance and Reconciliation

Yari suffered unprecedented political loss in the 2019 General Elections. He lost all the posts won to court judgment from internal party friction. Through that experience, we have seen how Yari went through the struggle with determination and courage. It was simply a story of hope and despair. Yari got favourable verdict only on the night of the election -my brother who was a staunch Yari supporter talked to me about how Yari would always have his way after that experience. Then came post election legal battles that annulled all the votes and gave PDP the positions -one of the grand political booties the world has ever seen since democracy was coined in our the global space. The indefatigable Yari went to the Supreme Court again for the review of judgment -something new to many social observers like myself. When the Supreme Court gave its verdict in favour of the PDP, Yari didn’t rest for a moment before embarking on a national party leadership project that is still on.

Tormenting as the loss of won positions was, it showed another great side of Yari in terms of reconciliation. With all the role that APC National under Oshiomhole played, Yari was not moved and was never seen to consider decamping. We saw how well he fought and reconciled with Oshiomhole in the middle of the crisis. After all the court judgments, it is even more amazing how Yari reconciled with all the factions of G8 whose application for court intervention on the irregularities of party primaries led to all the unfavorable judgments and outcomes for him. As an APC Member from the erstwhile Senator Marafa faction whose loyalty to the personality of our now Marafa group within APC is known, I admire with great sense of respect how Yari took over the trust of party leadership in the state we have given to him with passion and sense of responsibility. Even with all the intrigues that around Governor Bello Matawalle’s decamping to APC, Yari participated in the ceremony in Gusau to respect the instruction of President Buhari through APC Governors led by Mal. Nasiru El-Rufai and the Ag. APC National Chairman, Governor Mai-Mala Buni. This is a demonstration of large heartedness and forgiving posture that any party would need from its leader at the top.

APC and Nigeria don’t have any experienced, performing, large hearted, cosmopolitan, energetic and courageous choice of a party leader than the one offered by Yari.

*Dr. Barau writes from Maitama Abuja*