Senator Marafa has called on the presidential candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and that of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, to join hands with President Tinubu to move the nation forward.
Senator Kabir Marafa, who represented Zamfara Central at the 9th Senate, stated this over the weekend when speaking to the State House Correspondent, after a meeting with President Tinubu.
He also stated that the decision on the Government of Unity in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration is solely for the President.
Senator Marafa, who said his reasons for visiting the President were personal, also said“There is nothing left for the opposition figures to prove after their outing at the judiciary, especially after the verdict of the Supreme Court on Thursday, which affirmed Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 Presidential Election, besides the fact that at this juncture, Nigeria needs every hand on the deck.”
When asked if he thought President Tinubu should form a Government of National Unity (GNU), Marafa said “I am not Mr. President, but I like the way you put the question ‘do you think’? I know Mr. President is a politician and he knows the game very well. He is the one to decide to say ‘Now should I go ahead to form a government of national unity like I wanted to or having seen the behaviour of the participants, should I abandon it’?
“Their behaviour from Thursday, I think, will determine what the President will do. If they take the judgment with open hearts and extend a hand of friendship to Mr. President, I know the President will want to work with everybody. Governance is something that you need all hands on deck to succeed, especially in a complex country like Nigeria“, he said.
“Like the president said, he is going to concentrate on his job, So, on their part, I wish they would join hands with Mr. President to move the country forward.
“When I lost the election, I congratulated the person who defeated me. I also promised that the best thing that I can give the people of Zamfara Central is to cooperate with whoever they choose to be their Senator to move the zone forward. Because they elected me twice and I won convincingly in the two elections.
“So, I expect also at the national level for our elders to do the same. They have exhausted their rights. So, it is over. Let us now move to building Nigeria. Let us now look at the plight of the masses. You know things are very difficult and hard, which is occasioned by the removal of subsidy, which is a must. I was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Petroleum Downstream. So, I know what is happening in the area. Also, the rate of the dollar is adding to the difficulties in the country.
“So, if now somebody says I lost, I think I should accept the fact that in any game, there are winners and there are losers. Yesterday, I was the winner and today, I lost. I should accept it and move forward, tomorrow is another day,” Senator Marafa said.
Speaking on his reasons for visiting the President, Marafa said “The visit was personal, not official. So, I am not going to go in-depth into the discussion I had with my leader, my President and my father.
“First, I was in his office to congratulate him on assuming the office. As you all know I led his campaign in Zamfara State. I was the Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organization in Zamfara State. So, I am part of the success. But typical of my attitude, I don’t poke nose, and I don’t become a liability.
“So, after the elections, I was in his house to congratulate him for winning, and to thank him most profoundly for singling me and some very few other people during his acceptance speech. The moment he was announced as the winner of the elections, I think my name and one other were the only Nigerians he singled out to thank for the efforts we put in making sure he won in Zamfara State.
“That was something I will never forget in my life. You do something and you are appreciated, and you feel energised to do much more. So, since then, I haven’t linked up with him, and after swearing in, I felt I should give him time to settle in the office and to do the work that he has been elected by Nigerians to do“, he added.
