Yerima Disowns APC Power-Shift Pact, Declares Presidential Aspiration

Former governor of Zamfara State Senator Sani Yerima Wednesday dismissed claims of a pre-merger power shift pact as recently espoused by President Muhammadu Buhari and other All Progressives Congress, APC chieftains as he declared his intention to vie for the 2023 presidential ticket of the party.

Yerima is remembered as the first governor in the annals of the Fourth Republic to introduce the Sharia Criminal legal code.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja, he said that he was participant in all the critical meetings leading to the merger of the parties that formed the APC and that there was no discussion on a power shift.

Moreover, he said that power shift was contrary to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the country.

“You see, I don’t think there is anything like agreement.

“You can ask Mr President, he led the group, Asiwaju was there, I was part of it.

“There was no meeting I didn’t attend or any meeting that I attended that there was such agreement.

“Agreement can’t be verbal, it has to be written.

“In any case, any agreement that is contrary to laws of this country is not an agreement.

“The Constitution is very clear, the Constitution of the political parties, the Electoral Act. We are in a democracy and democracy is governed by processes and procedures and by laws.

“The Constitution of Nigeria doesn’t recognize anything called zoning and likewise, the APC’s Constitution.

“If there is that agreement why didn’t we put it in the Constitution?

“So, nobody will just come and say that there is an agreement, take your Constitution and amend it, put that agreement if there is, then nobody will come from another side and work against the Constitution.

“As a democrat, as a citizen of Nigeria, I can aspire based on the laws of Nigeria.

“The Nigerian Constitution has given rights and privilege to every citizen which believes he has something to offer to aspire for any office, irrespective of his state of origin, his tribe, ethnicity, religion; you have right, the Constitution has given us guarantee to participate in the political process,” he said.

On the rationale for him from the Northwest succeeding Buhari who is also from the Northwest, he said:

“In America George Bush (Snr) was President, George Bush (Jnr) became President.

“They are from the same family not from the same state, not from the same zone. This is democracy. If Nigerians decides to vote for Yarima, so it be.”

On his ambition, he said:

“You may recall that in 2006, I declared my interest to contest for Presidency after having served Zamfara State for a period of eight years.

“However, I decided to withdraw for the current President at that time and since then I went to Senate for three terms.

“Now that Mr President is completing his second term, I decided to try again to see what God will have for me having voluntarily decided not to go to the Senate again.

“You can see today Nigeria is facing a lot of challenges of security but as one of APC stalwarts, I have an opportunity, always, if I want to meet Mr President and give my own piece of advice.

“However, I can still say that these challenges can be overcome through concerted efforts.

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