Apex court judgment on Zamfara, a bitter-sweet experience, says Marafa

Sen. Kabir Marafa (APC-Zamfara) has described the Supreme Court judgement on Zamfara All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the last elections as “a sweet, bitter but a huge victory for democracy.”

Marafa, who represents Zamfara Central Senatorial District, also said it is victory for the state and the country as a whole.

He made the remarks, on Friday, in a statement he personally signed in Abuja.

It was reported that the lawmaker and the outgoing governor of the state, Abdulaziz Yari, prior to the party’s primaries, had locked horns over control of the state’s chapter of APC.

However, the Supreme Court, on Friday, declared all the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidates as winners in the last governorship, National and State Assembly polls, ruling that APC did not hold valid party primaries as required by law.

In his reaction to the court ruling, Marafa said: “No matter how long, truth will always prevail over falsehood.

“Today’s judgement is a victory for democracy, triumph of truth over falsehood and redeemer of the integrity of the judiciary.”

According to him, as we all know, the APC was unable to conduct primaries in Zamfara, following Yari’s thuggery and violent machinations.

“With this, lesson has been served that only strict adherence to rule of law and due process will take the country to the next level as being advocated by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“This Judgment has shown that the president is religiously sincere with his non-interference stance on function of other arms of government.

“He has further endeared himself to Nigerians and the world for resisting all efforts by Abdulaziz Yari to force him to interfere in the judgment,” he said.

Marafa, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), urged his “adversaries to take the judgement as the will of Allah and a lesson that only Allah, the Almighty, can crown a king.”

Commending the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad for leading the Justices aright, he said the judiciary remained the last hope of the common man.

“The acting CJN and the justices that delivered the judgement have with the judgement, laid the foundation for the redemption of the battered image of the judiciary as painted by the likes of justice Bello Shinkafi.

“I will like to thank the judiciary, especially the Justice Tom Yakubu team at the Appeal Court and now the CJN team in the Supreme Court, the courageous position of INEC, the unflinching support of the people of Zamfara, my family for their wonderful support and prayers, my well wishers and admirers in Nigeria and Diaspora for their overwhelming support.

“Judiciary remains the last hope of the common man, therefore all hands must be on deck to strengthen it,” he said.