Zamfara 2019: Can Governor Yari Upstage His Boss, Yariman Bakura?

Nearly two years to the next general elections, a major political battle over who succeeds Governor Yari after the expiration of his second tenure in 2019 has begun in earnest.

Some of the APC members confirmed that Yarima would likely seek re-election as he has never told anybody that he would not seek a fourth term at the expiration of his third term at the senate in 2019.

Those who took delight in seeing Yari upstage Yarima as the senator, saying that Yarima abandons his senatorial ambition for Yari, fail to see the motive behind Yarima's political arithmetic.

Read the very insightful analysis by Daily trust, especially to those who are interested in understanding Zamfara political shenanigans.

REVEALED: Political pundits in Zamfara State are expressing doubts if Governor Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar can upstage his political god father, Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima.

Both Yari and Yarima are from the same senatorial district. Governor Yari would be rounding off his second term as executive governor of the state in 2019 while Senator Yarima, who is in the Senate for the third time, might undoubtedly seek to go for the fourth time. Some analysts opined that there could be a mutual deal between the two politicians.

For instance, Yarima could abandon his senatorial ambition for Yari if he would be allowed to field a gubernatorial candidate of his choice come 2019.

However, some keen observers of political developments in the state say there is nothing Yari can do to remove Yarima as senator, owing to the fact that all party structures from the state to ward level belong to Yarima’s political camp.

“Despite spending about six years as governor, Yari is yet to build his own political structure and this is a setback for him politically.

Instead of him to build his own political camp, he got himself deeply engrossed in national politics, especially with his emergence as NGF chairman,” one of the observers said.

And according to one of the Zamfara political analysts, Dr. Bello Inuwa Anka, "unfortunately, the report about Zamfara in this article is accurate. As always, Zamfara is totally screwed. But then, there is still an opportunity to stop them from having their way in 2019.

The major parties are already sorted, they have finished their calculations.

The Youths clamouring for change can only achieve that by building up on an alternative platform....that is if they REALLY want a change."

By Khalifa Ja'afar