Shinkafi, who became the state governor in 2007 on the platform of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2008.

He, however lost to the APC in 2011 and had since then remained in the opposition.

Shinkafi announced his decision to join the APC at a ceremony in Gusau, the state capital.

According to him, it is the outcome of a long negotiation between me and stakeholders who have faith in me and my leadership qualities.

He told all his supporters to join him as he strived to make the APC stronger.

Shinkafi said that after series of meetings with stakeholders, he had sincerely made up his mind to join the APC.

He also announced that all his former cabinet members, including his former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Mamman Bawa, had joined him in the APC.

The return of Shinkafi to the APC might be a grand plan by the stakeholders in the state to re-elect him as governor in the 2019 elections.

Alhaji Muntari Anka, who served as a deputy governor with Shinkafi, also moved to the APC in Anka Local Government constituency a fortnight ago.

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The arrests were in connection with the $115m (N23bn) bribe allegedly disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke through Fidelity Bank during the build-up to the 2015 general election.

EFCC sources said Saturday evening that the three PDP chieftains were arrested based on the statement of a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, who reportedly confessed last week that he supervised the disbursement of N450m to leaders of the PDP in Zamfara State.

“Operatives of the EFCC Kano zonal office revealed how the N450m was received by former Zamfara SSG, Aminu Nahuce; and one Mallaha as signatories for the documents securing the release of the money on Bashir Yuguda’s instruction which was shared in his house under his supervision.

“In his statement of admission to the investigators last week, Yuguda, a former Finance Minister under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, indicted the former Governor Shinkafi as a beneficiary of the money.

“Yuguda said in his statement that the ex-governor received N15m while Hassan Nasiha, a former senator and state PDP Chairman of Zamfara State and members of his committee received N5m,” an operative of the anti-graft agency said.

The EFCC source, however, told our correspondent that the anti-graft agency had told all those involved to return the money as it had been established that the money was stolen.

He said some of those arrested had agreed to return the money, adding that the Zamfara PDP chairman had returned N2 million.

“The PDP chairman, Nasiha, claimed that he only benefitted N2m contrary to claims made by Yuguda that it was N5m. He has refunded the money to the EFCC. The two are currently under detention.”

The source added that Yuguda claimed that the remaining money was distributed to 14 local government councils in the state.

Yuguda allegedly said in his statement that N26m was given to each local government while some other PDP lawmakers received N5m each.

The source added, “The other beneficiaries listed by Yuguda include: 13 Zamfara Local Government Councils (N26m each totalling N338m). Yuguda said Gusau Local Government Council being the state capital was given N46m.

“Yuguda said the then Chairman, House Committee on National Security, Intelligence and Public Safety received N10m, while a senator got N5m.

“Yuguda added that the PDP deputy governorship candidate in the 2015 election got N5m, while other lawmakers and the PDP exco got N5m each.

“Yugua said the committee of party supervisors got N10m while some other group got N6m.”

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