Loading ...BIRNIN KEBBI, NIGERIA — The Kebbi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been plunged into a major political crisis following the sudden suspension of its State Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Kana-Zuru, and the Zuru Local Government Area Party Chairman, Hon. Aliyu Abubakar Abiola.
In a simultaneous, high-stakes political purge, the Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Nasir Idris, has also clamped down on his cabinet by approving the immediate suspension of the State Commissioner for Livestock Development and Fisheries, Alhaji Kabir Usman Alaramma Zuru.
The coordinated suspensions follow an intense internal uproar over what party insiders describe as a “shameful” logistical and mobilization failure during the recently concluded Zuru State Constituency by-election.
The Accusations: “Lukewarm Attitude and Disobedience”
According to an official statement signed by the APC State Secretary, Alhaji Sa’idu Muhammad Kimba, the party leadership wielded the big stick after receiving damning complaints from key stakeholders within the Zuru Emirate.
The affected party executives were accused of:
- Displaying a “lukewarm attitude” toward vital party activities.
- Chronic failure to effectively engage and consult critical grassroots stakeholders.
- Shockingly poor mobilization of party supporters during crucial electoral exercises.
- Deliberate non-compliance with established party principles, guidelines, and constitutional procedures.
The statement noted that an internal investigative panel verified these infractions, prompting the state working committee to suspend Kana-Zuru. The Deputy State Chairman has been directed to take over leadership of the ruling party in an acting capacity with immediate effect.
The Real Trigger: The 5,000-Voter By-Election Debacle
While the party’s official statement cited generic “anti-party infractions,” investigations by 247ureports reveal that the sweeping purge is a direct retaliation by the state government over the outcome of the Zuru State Constituency by-election.
Political observers in Birnin Kebbi noted that although the ruling APC technically retained the seat, the election recorded a humiliatingly low voter turnout that deeply embarrassed Governor Nasir Idris’s administration. Official data showed that out of over 109,000 registered voters in the constituency, the party leadership could only mobilize roughly 5,000 people to the polls.
The massive apathy sent shockwaves through government house, leading to accusations that the suspended party leaders and the local commissioner completely abandoned their duties, failed to deploy resources properly, and alienated voters in the Zuru axis.
Governor Idris Swings the Axe on Cabinet
Refusing to limit the sanctions to the party structure, Governor Nasir Idris extended the purge into his executive cabinet.
A separate statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Yakubu Bala-Tafida, confirmed that the Commissioner for Livestock Development, Kabir Usman Alaramma Zuru, had been indefinitely suspended.
The SSG directed the axed commissioner to immediately hand over all government properties and ministerial responsibilities to the Permanent Secretary of the ministry.
Tensions Escalate Ahead of Local Council Polls
The sudden removal of top political figures from the Zuru Emirate has triggered intense anxiety within the Kebbi APC coalition. Zuru is a highly critical geopolitical bloc in the state, and a heavy-handed house cleaning right before wider local government councils elections could trigger factional infighting.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the suspended state chairman nor the axed commissioner has issued an official reaction, as phone calls to their lines returned unanswered.
With the Deputy State Chairman now at the helm, the Kebbi APC faces the immediate hurdle of patching up deep fractures within the Zuru Emirate before the main opposition can exploit the cracks.
