A former Chairman House Committee on Intelligence and Internal Security in House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, has expressed confidence that the current insecurity bedeviling Zamfara state won’t affect negatively the chances of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.
Hon. Jaji said the ruling party is solidly on ground in the state to win election anyday.
Speaking during an interactive session with newsmen, Wednesday in Abuja, Jaji who was a governorship aspirant of APC in 2019, called on security agencies to do more and end the activities of bandits in Zamfara.
Jaji said: “There was insecurity in Zamfara before 2019. I was a council chairman. The first incident that took place in Zamfara was in my local government. It happened in September 2011 during Abdul Aziz’s administration when some commuters traveled from Birnin Magaji to Batsari then the bandits killed them and set them ablaze including their commodities.
“The thing continues up till the time that about 300 were killed in one day. So many things have happened in the state of which everybody knows about it before 2019. And the thing continues. If you look at the figures from 2011, to 2015, and 2019, the people that have lost their lives, you will know that this thing is there. It is not something you blame one person for. The challenge is there.
“The security agencies need to do their best. I said anybody who engages in any reconciliatory committee as a leader from 2011 till date, not only in zamfara state anywhere, the security needs to investigate that person and interrogate him very well. And even keep him on their watch list.
“The issue of insecurity is something that we know about it and it will not geopardise the chances of the APC. The party will continue to win despite the challenge of insecurity.”
Commenting on the APC crisis in Zamfara which has led to different factions, the former federal lawmaker said governor Bello Matawalle has been able to unite the party.
When reminded of former governor Yari, Jaji wondered whether Yari is a registered member of the APC.
He said: “I don’t know if Yari is a registered member of the party. But for me, he is not an APC member.”
The Zamfara born politician also expressed confidence that the experience of 2019 where APC lost all the elective positions to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can never repeat itself.
“It cannot happen. And it will not happen again. And we will not allow it to happen. Because the governor knows the mandate is not for him alone but for the people. And he will allow the people to give it to who they like.”