The Yari Conundrum

Ejiofor Alike writes that President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress should handle the opposition to the party’s zoning arrangements by forces led by the former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari with caution to avoid losing the leadership positions in the National Assembly as a similar protracted disagreement between the former governor and Senator Kabiru Marafa had denied the ruling party all the elective positions in Zamfara State

The anointed candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may lose all or some of the strategic leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly following the former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari’s sustained opposition to the party’s zoning of the presiding officers’ positions.

The ruling party had in consultation with President Bola Tinubu anointed a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibrin as its preferred choices for the positions of the next Senate president and deputy Senate president, respectively.

Vice President Kashim Shettima had argued that the choice of Akpabio is for the purpose of faith-balancing after the party’s controversial Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.

Explaining the rationale for the zoning arrangement, Shettima said: “What we are trying to avoid is a situation whereby the number one citizen, number two citizen, the number three citizen and the number four citizen are all of the same faith. That will validate the negative narrative of the Islamisation of Nigeria

“That is why my principal, a fair-minded individual, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu insists the number three citizen must come from the South-south (Christian). The stability of the nation is more important than any other consideration. We are talking about inclusivity,” he reportedly said

But Yari who is a senator-elect representing Zamfara-West senatorial constituency, rejected the zoning arrangement, insisting that it is unfair to the North.

Speaking on ‘The Morning Show,’ a programme on ARISE NEWS Channel, Yari argued that the zoning did not take into consideration the need for ethnic and regional balance and especially rewarding his geopolitical zone (North-west), which gave President Tinubu the highest number of votes.

He also claimed that the APC did not consult widely, adding that “…what we only saw in the media is that the party has chosen and has given names to adopt.”

According to him, “The present Chief Justice of the Federation is from Oyo State; and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed, President-elect, is from Lagos State, and Akpabio is from Akwa Ibom State at the same time and the next Chief Justice of Nigeria is going to be from the South-west in a couple of months.

“So, have you ever seen since the return of democracy in 1960 whether this kind of thing happened during Shagari, Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, or Jonathan?” Yari reportedly queried.

Besides, the argument of the former Zamfara State governor is that the North-west geopolitical zone contributed the most in making Tinubu president.

On the claim that the zoning was for religious balancing, the opponents of the arrangement have also expressed surprise that the same leaders who had told Nigerians that religion should not be considered but competence when they foisted Muslim-Muslim tickets on the country, have turned around to claim that religion has suddenly become an important factor.

Indeed, the dispute has exposed the hypocrisy of the members of Nigeria’s political class, who tilt facts and arguments against or in favour of religion or tribe when it suits their selfish agenda.

They weaponise religion and ethnicity to hoodwink the gullible masses just to actualise their selfish agenda, which at the end, won’t improve the wellbeing of the members of any tribe or religion.

On his part, Yari wants to be seen as championing the cause of the North because regional sentiment is the most potent weapon, he can use to actualise his personal ambition under the prevailing circumstances.

He chose to whip up core northern sentiments and not religious sentiments since the President, Vice President and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) are his fellow Muslims.

He ignored the fact that his ambition will not allow Christians to occupy any of the five top leadership positions in the country.

Feelers from the camp of the opposition parties indicate that the crisis may deny the ruling party or their anointed candidates the leadership positions in the same manner Yari’s supremacy battle with Senator Kabiru Marafa robbed the party of all elective positions in his home state in 2019.

Many believe that Yari has the capacity to inflict such collateral damage on the ruling party.

To outsmart Yari and realise their own agenda, Shettima and the APC cited faith-balancing, which is a plausible explanation.

He should realise that his North-west zone benefitted from the ruling party more than any of the other five geopolitical zones, being the only zone that has produced the President of Nigeria on the party’s platform for eight years.

Shouldn’t former Zamfara governor see his zone’s massive support for the party in the 2023 elections as its own way of appreciating the party?

His zone not only produced President Muhammadu Buhari, but has also been compensated with the positions of the next Deputy Senate President and the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, even when no position was zoned to the North-central, which also delivered massive votes to the APC.

Discordant tunes by the APC leaders are also not helping the party’s cause as it appears there are enemies within who are working to truncate the party’s agenda.

Receiving the anointed candidate for the speakership position, Tajudeen Abbas and other lawmakers-elect in Abuja recently, Vice President Shettima had addressed Abbas as “by God’s grace, our Speaker-in-waiting” and referred to his anointed deputy, Benjamin Kalu, as “our Deputy Speaker-in-waiting.”

But when the same group visited the party’s National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, he reportedly warned Abbas’ supporters, including about 100 lawmakers-elect to stop addressing the Kaduna lawmaker as the incoming Speaker.

“I want to make one correction so that we will not be misrepresented. Quite a number of you have referred to Hon. Abbas as the Speaker. Please, he is one of the aspirants. He will become Speaker on the day of proclamation,” Adamu reportedly told Abbas.

Adamu’s statement has provoked the ire of the National Vice Chairman of the APC for North-west, Dr. Salihu Lukman, who alleged that the leadership of the APC was subtly working against the zoning arrangement adopted by the party.

Lukman accused Adamu of acting as a factional leader opposing the zoning decisions approved by the National Working Committee (NWC).

In a press statement issued last Wednesday, Lukman said: “The same conservative bloc is now spewing up hardcore ethnic northern arguments against the zoning decisions approved by the NWC following the outcome of consultations between Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led NWC team with President Tinubu.”

“Part of the test will be whether President Tinubu, having agreed together with the APC NWC on zoning formula for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly just sit and watch conservative right-wing elements within the APC use Northern ethnic arguments to mobilise for the defeat of endorsed APC candidates for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.” Lukman argued.

President Tinubu’s administration will be the greatest loser if those opposed to the zoning arrangements have their way.

 Tinubu and the APC should consult and pacify Yari and other aggrieved aspirants.