The chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Governor Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara state has threatened to shutdown elections in his state. The furious Governor Yari’s threat on the basis of the exclusion of his party from participating in the polls after failing to comply with the guidelines. 

“There would be no elections in Zamfara should INEC refused to field the APC candidates,“ he said insisting on a state High Court judgement that ordered INEC to accept the APC candidates list. However, a contrary ruling at a Federal High Court stands against the APC, a real cause for dilemma for INEC. The electoral commission has maintained the status quo as it stands. 

Governor Yari has faced criticisms for his dangerous remark. A former Governor, Ayodele Fayose of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party said Yari should “lick his wounds” and allow peace to prevail. According to Fayose, “it is not the fault of INEC that internal crisis in the APC in Zamfara, just like other states caused the party its rights to field candidates for National Assembly, governorship and state Assembly candidates.”

He accused the APC of plotting to “impose emergency rule on Zamfara state so that electoral process can start afresh to enable APC field candidates .” Truly Governor Yari has publicly expressed  support for the idea of emergency rule over the conflict, so the claims by Fayose cannot be verified. 

The Nigerian Bar Association in Zamfara state also denounced Yari’s remarks. “As ambassadors of rule of law, we implore, the executive Governor to be calm and humble in dealing with the issue and invoke the path of rule of law, rather than self-help,” Bello Galadi the state chairman of the lawyers union said. 

INEC has not directly responded to Governor Yari at this time.