Gov. Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara has warned governorship aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state against using insecurity to campaign against his government.
Yari gave the warning in Gusau while addressing APC supporters at the party’s mega rally in support of Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu-Idris, believed to be his preferred aspirant.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state APC chapter and 14 local government APC chapters in the state organised the grand rally in support of the aspirant.
Yari lamented that some APC governorship aspirants were using insecurity to campaign against his government and his preferred aspirant.
“I want to tell those aspirants that the issue of insecurity is the responsibility of government at all levels including the Federal , State and Local Governments.
“We all know the efforts of the federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari in addressing security challenges in the state.
“As at 2011, we only had 24 soldiers in this area, but after one heavy attack in Yar-galadima in 2014 village, the then federal government led by president Jonathan deployed 250 soldiers.
“But when President Muhammadu Buhari came into power between 2015 to date, he established a new Army Brigade with over 1000 soldiers deployed to all the nooks and crannies of the state to fight bandits and criminals.
He said that Shehu-Idris was brought to contest the governorship race on the party’s platform on account of his competence, adding that the party needed a candidate that would continue with ongoing projects and programmes.
“We will not deny any aspirant; we are ready for primaries, any aspirant that believes he is good, let him come out and try his luck.”
He urged people of the state to come out in large numbers to participate in the APC presidential and governorship primaries in the state.
In his remarks, Shehu-Idris appreciated the support and cooperation of the APC supporters in the state and assured that if voted as governor, he would continue with the development projects started by the Yari administration.
The state APC Chairman, Alhaji Lawal M-Liman, said the rally was organised by the party to show solidarity to the candidature of Shehu-Idris.
“We thank the support and cooperation of APC supporters from the 14 local government areas of the state,” he said. (NAN)