2027: Zamfara APC crisis deepens as Shinkafi sues party over senatorial primary

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…Warns Against ‘Dictatorship’ and Imposition of Candidates

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By Luminous Jannamike

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Fresh crisis has erupted within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State following a lawsuit filed by a frontline aspirant for the Zamfara North Senatorial District, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, challenging the party’s senatorial primary election.

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Shinkafi dragged the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u before the Federal High Court in Gusau over the disputed primary allegedly conducted on May 19, 2026.

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The aspirant is asking the court to nullify the process that produced Senator Ya’u as the APC candidate for Zamfara North Senatorial District, arguing that the party neither conducted a valid direct primary nor adopted a lawful consensus arrangement before announcing the winner.

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The development was contained in a statement personally signed by Shinkafi, who is also a patron of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council 2023.

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In the suit marked FHC/GS/CS/6/2026 and dated May 25, 2026, Shinkafi urged the court to interpret relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and determine whether the APC complied with the law and its constitution in the conduct of the primary exercise.

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Among the issues raised before the court is whether the APC was legally required under Sections 84, 86, and 87 of the Electoral Act 2026 to nominate candidates through either direct primaries or a properly executed consensus process.

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The APC chieftain is also seeking an order compelling the party to conduct a fresh primary election involving all cleared aspirants for the Zamfara North Senatorial District ticket.

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In a 21-paragraph affidavit filed in support of the suit, Shinkafi stated that he purchased the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms for ₦20 million on April 30, 2026.

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He explained that he subsequently submitted the completed forms and was screened alongside Hanafi Musa Moriki and Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u, with all three aspirants reportedly cleared to contest the primary election.

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According to him, there was no consensus agreement among the aspirants prior to the declaration of a candidate.

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“There was no consensus amongst the cleared aspirants,” Shinkafi stated.

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He further maintained that he neither withdrew from the race nor endorsed any aspirant as a consensus candidate.

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“I did not endorse any aspirant as the consensus candidate,” he said.

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Shinkafi alleged that due process was not followed before Senator Ya’u was announced as the party’s consensus candidate for the senatorial district.

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“There was no written consent from me indicating my voluntary withdrawal from the race,” he added.

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The APC stalwart warned that arbitrary imposition of candidates could undermine internal democracy within political parties and weaken Nigeria’s democratic process.

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According to him, the suit is also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from further alleged breaches of constitutional and statutory provisions governing party primaries.

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He also asked the court to direct the APC and INEC to uphold internal democracy and ensure credible nomination processes in line with the rule of law.

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Shinkafi argued that both the legal system and democratic order could suffer irreparable damage if the court fails to grant the reliefs sought.

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He disclosed that before approaching the court, he had petitioned the APC National Chairman and the chairman of the party’s Senate Primary Election Committee over what he described as the arbitrary imposition of a candidate.

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As of the time of filing this report, no hearing date had been fixed for the suit, which is expected to further heighten tensions within the APC in Zamfara State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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