The camp of former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, has dismissed claims linking him to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Bilyaminu Yusuf Shinkafi, insisting that the allegations are politically motivated.
The camp also denied that Yari was behind the defection of eight suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly from the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the claims as an attempt to damage his reputation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The position was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, a former National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Zamfara North senatorial aspirant.
Shinkafi said the allegations emerged following Yari’s appointment as Director-General of President Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council, arguing that political opponents were seeking to undermine his influence.
He described the claim that Yari was sponsoring the ADC governorship candidate as false and mischievous.
Addressing the relationship between Yari and Bilyaminu, Shinkafi explained that the ADC candidate was a cousin of the former governor’s wife, stressing that the family connection should not be interpreted as evidence of political sponsorship.
He further disclosed that Bilyaminu had previously sought the APC ticket for Zamfara North senatorial district but was not cleared by the party’s screening committee before defecting to the ADC.
The statement also sought to clarify Yari’s relationship with the eight suspended lawmakers, who recently resigned from the APC.
According to Shinkafi, the lawmakers were not political allies of the former governor, contrary to claims circulating in political circles.
The lawmakers were suspended by the Zamfara State House of Assembly on February 26, 2024, over allegations of gross misconduct, contempt of the House and conducting an unauthorised sitting.
The Assembly also accused them of forcing their way into legislative offices and destroying public property.
Shinkafi said five of the affected lawmakers were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, while the remaining three secured their seats under the APC.
The controversy surrounding the lawmakers intensified after Governor Dauda Lawal defected from the PDP to the APC in March 2026.
The suspended legislators had subsequently petitioned the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions over their prolonged suspension and the alleged withholding of their salaries and allowances.
Shinkafi maintained that Yari had offered financial assistance to the affected lawmakers and made efforts to resolve the dispute through dialogue, although the matter remained unresolved.
He accused those blaming the former governor for the continued crisis in the state legislature of misrepresenting the situation.
Shinkafi urged Nigerians to disregard the allegations, maintaining that Yari remained committed to supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The statement comes amid political realignments and growing manoeuvring among political actors ahead of the next general elections.
