Unity and Reconciliation Forum, an All Progressives Congress group in Zamfara, says it gathered 500 clerics for special prayers for former Governors Abdul’aziz Yari and Bello Matawalle.

Mr Yari represents Zamfara West senatorial district in the 10th Senate.

Abubakar Alaramma led the special prayers held in Gusau after reciting the Qur’an.

The forums’ chairman, Mande Umar, said 500 Islamic scholars were mobilised from the state’s 14 local government areas.

“Even though the prayers were organised to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Sen. Yari, we also use this medium to pray for Matawalle to succeed as Minister of State, Defence.

“We also seek Allah’s intervention on the current security and economic challenges in the state and Nigeria at large. We also commend APC stakeholders and a large crowd of members of the party for attending the prayer session,” Mr Umar said.

He called on political officeholders in the state to emulate Yari and Matawalle as they extended democracy dividends to the grassroots.

(NAN)