Tinubu’s 2027 presidential chances spark war of words as Zamfara APC tackles ex-Senator Marafa over his threat to cut one million votes in the state.
The political atmosphere in Zamfara State has been heated in recent days following a verbal exchange between the Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa.
At the center of the controversy is Marafa’s recent threat that he would ensure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu loses one million votes in the forthcoming 2027 presidential election.
The statement has provoked a strong reaction from the Zamfara APC leadership, which swiftly dismissed the remarks as empty rhetoric coming from a man it described as politically irrelevant and desperate for attention.
In a statement signed by the Zamfara APC Chairman, Tukur Umar Danfulani, the party poured scorn on Marafa’s claim, describing him as a “confused and clueless politician” who has long lost credibility with the people of Zamfara.
Danfulani declared that the former senator lacks the capacity to threaten President Tinubu’s political fortunes, stressing: “Marafa is nothing more than a toothless bulldog.
“He can bark all he wants, but he has no teeth to bite. His departure from the APC will never be a threat to President Tinubu in the 2027 election.”
The chairman argued that Marafa’s political downfall began in 2019 when he was overwhelmingly voted out of the Senate by his constituents, a defeat from which he has allegedly not recovered.
He recalled that during the 2023 general elections, Marafa could not even secure victory in his own senatorial constituency, let alone deliver substantial votes for Tinubu.
The chairman insisted that the votes garnered by the APC in Zamfara and across the Northwest were largely the result of the credibility and influence of leaders such as the current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and former Governor Abdul’aziz Yari.
Danfulani highlighted the pivotal role played by Matawalle in Tinubu’s success. As Minister of State for Defence, Matawalle had coordinated the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council across the entire Northwest zone.
Although Marafa was reluctantly appointed as the Zamfara State campaign coordinator, Danfulani alleged that he “did not deserve the role” and only succeeded in generating unnecessary internal rancor.
According to him, Marafa’s agitation for appointments after Tinubu’s victory only exposed his selfish motives.
The Zamfara APC did not mince words in emphasizing Marafa’s lack of electoral strength.
The statement questioned how a politician who could not win his ward of Yandoton Daji, his local government area of Tsafe, or his central senatorial constituency could boast of being capable of reducing one million votes from Tinubu’s tally.
“It is laughable,” Danfulani said, “because the entire Zamfara votes in 2023 were not even close to one million. Where then will Marafa get such numbers from?”
He further accused the former senator of engaging in anti-party activities aimed at sabotaging APC’s electoral chances, which however proved unsuccessful.
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Politics of Betrayal
Going further, the APC chairman accused Marafa of being an ungrateful politician who has a history of betrayal. He recalled that Marafa’s rise to the Senate in 2011 was sponsored by Yari, whom he now openly criticizes. On another occasion, he was only able to secure his candidacy after interventions from influential figures such as former Deputy Governor Ibrahim Wakkala.
“Marafa’s politics of deceit and betrayal has always returned to haunt him,” Danfulani declared, adding that his current predicament is the direct consequence of his past misdeeds.
The statement concluded with a warning that Marafa’s attempts to malign the President and the APC will continue to fail.
“The people of Zamfara have already moved beyond him,” it stressed.
“Our recent landslide victory in the Kaura Namoda South State House of Assembly bye-election is proof that the APC is stronger, more united, and unshaken by the empty noise of rejected politicians.”
But Senator Marafa’s loyalists have wasted no time in responding to the APC’s harsh words.
The chairman of the Senator Kabiru Marafa Consultative Forum, Comrade Bashir Muhammed Mafara, issued a sharp counter-statement, insisting that the former senator remains politically relevant and cannot be dismissed by cheap insults.
He described the APC statement as “desperate propaganda full of poor grammar and lies,” asserting that Marafa’s achievements and political record speak for themselves.
According to him, Marafa demonstrated uncommon courage when he defied the selfish interests of Yari by picking the governorship nomination form and fighting injustice until the courts declared Bello Matawalle governor in 2019.
“It was that same struggle,” Bashir argued, “that paved the way for people like Danfulani — a PDP man only yesterday — to now reap the benefits of the APC today.
“To call Marafa irrelevant is not just laughable, it is sheer ingratitude.”
Comrade Bashir also challenged Chairman Danfulani to publish the results of his own ward and local government in the last governorship election before ridiculing Marafa.
He insisted that Marafa has never lost in his polling unit or ward and expressed confidence that “by God’s grace, he never will.”
He maintained that Senator Marafa does not need media propaganda to establish his relevance, as “his works, his courage, and his political consistency are enough testimonies.”
Bashir said, “A man who commands true political relevance does not need propaganda. Senator Marafa has never been defeated in his immediate constituency, and he remains a political force in Zamfara, whether they like it or not.”
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The Bigger Picture
The verbal clash between the Zamfara APC and Senator Marafa is more than just a war of words; it reflects the deeper fractures within the party in the state. With President Tinubu barely two years into his administration, the battle lines for 2027 are already being drawn, and the rivalry between old allies turned adversaries is once again playing out.
For now, both camps appear entrenched in their positions: the APC leadership is eager to project unity and strength ahead of future elections, while Marafa’s loyalists remain determined to prove that he is still a formidable force in Zamfara politics.