By Salisu Maradun

Gusau—Worried by the incessant attacks and intimidation on political office seekers on the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, in Zamfara State, the governorship candidate of the party, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi has described the situation as barbaric, inhuman and ruthless.

Shinkafi called on the Federal Government and other relevant agencies in the country to as a matter of urgency, act fast before the break down of law and order in the state in view of alleged provocations by paid agents of certain parties.

Shinkafi spoke in Gusua, the state capital in an interview with Vanguard, yesterday.

He explained that the current political direction in the state was taking another dimension as opposition parties were being intimidated and harassed thereby depriving them of the opportunity to exercise their political right as enshrinement in the 1999 Constitution.

He accused the ruling APC in the state of allegedly planning to harm the opposition parties and their supporters through the use of thugs among others, pointing out that machineries had been put in place by the ruling party to ensure that opposition parties were knocked out of existence through crude methods in the state.

According to him, APGA had lost much in terms of human and material resources due to incessant attacks by agents of the APC, which had even gone to the extent of establishing an illegal non-governmental organization in a form of traffic policemen known as ZAROTA, in a bid to deal with no constitutional backing aimed at attacking the opposition, especially during the coming elections.

Sani recalled how his four campaign offices in Maradun, Mafara, Bungudu and Kaura Namoda Local Government Areas, as well as 15 of his campaign vehicles were destroyed by political thugs believed to have been sponsored by the ruling party , asking, “is this democracy?”

He further revealed that his party has on several occasions lodged complaints to the appropriate authorities but noted that nothing was done to remedy the situation, “because up to this time that I am talking to you, (Vanguard) no action had been taken towards addressing the burning issues.’’