Former Zamfara Central Senator, Kabiru Garba Marafa, has resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of betrayal and neglect despite his loyalty during the 2023 presidential election.

 

Marafa, who served as Zamfara State Coordinator for the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation, made the announcement after a two-day meeting of his supporters under the banner of the Senator Kabiru Marafa Consultative Forum, held on August 27 and 28, 2025, in Kaduna.

 

The meeting, which drew representatives from all 14 local government areas of the state, deliberated on the worsening security, political, and developmental challenges facing Zamfara.

 

In a communiqué signed by Forum chairman, Comrade Bashir Muhammad Mafara, and secretary, Dr. Mannir Bature Tsafe, the group recalled that under Marafa’s coordination, Tinubu secured victory in Zamfara during the 2023 polls — a feat achieved without the president’s direct campaign visit to the state.

 

However, the Forum expressed regret that Zamfara has been “deliberately neglected” under Tinubu’s administration. It highlighted grievances including:

 

Escalating insecurity: Zamfara reportedly topped Nigeria’s kidnapping index in 2024 with 1,203 out of 4,722 cases nationwide. In just one week after a bye-election, 25 villages were attacked, leaving 145 people abducted and 21 killed.

 

Lopsided appointments: Despite delivering votes for Tinubu, Zamfara received only a Minister of State slot, unlike other Northwest states which secured two ministerial positions each. States where Tinubu lost, particularly Lagos, were said to have enjoyed greater federal appointments and projects.

 

Neglect of victims: Unlike other crisis-hit states, the president has allegedly failed to visit Zamfara or extend financial support to victims of banditry.

 

Political sidelining: Marafa’s political structure was accused of being marginalized by APC’s national leadership in breach of the party’s founding principles of fairness and inclusivity.

 

 

The communiqué condemned what it described as the use of security forces to secure APC’s electoral victory in Kaura Namoda bye-election while failing to protect lives in the same communities ravaged by banditry.

 

After what it termed “exhaustive consultations,” the Forum resolved that Marafa and his entire political structure across all 147 wards of Zamfara had formally resigned from the APC in protest against “sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalisation, and deliberate neglect.”

 

The Forum added that it would announce its next political direction soon, guided by the collective interest of Zamfara people.

 

Meanwhile, Marafa has not yet declared his future political move.

 

Marafa’s exit marks a major crack within Zamfara APC, as his political network, long considered one of the strongest grassroots structures in the state, severs ties with the ruling party.