APC Senatorial Primaries: Shinkafi drags INEC, party to court over alleged irregularities

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INEC chairman Joash Amupitan

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By Idris Salisu, Gusau

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A Zamfara North Senatorial aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has approached the Federal High Court in Gusau, challenging the conduct and outcome of the party’s recently concluded senatorial primary election.

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Shinkafi is asking the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC to account for what he described as breaches of the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution during the primaries.

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His counsel, Barrister Garba Galadi, who spoke to journalists shortly after filing the suit on Monday evening, said the action became necessary following alleged failure to adhere to established guidelines governing party primaries.

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According to him, the APC’s rules provide for either direct primaries or consensus arrangements, but alleged that neither process was properly followed in the exercise that produced the party’s candidate.

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He further argued that the declaration of Senator Sahabi Yau Kaura as winner of the primary was invalid, insisting it was carried out “without due process and in violation of laid-down procedures.”

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Galadi maintained that the legal team would present evidence before the court to demonstrate that the electoral guidelines and internal party regulations were not complied with during the selection process.

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Speaking separately, Shinkafi said he decided to challenge the outcome after exhausting internal party mechanisms without success.

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He rejected the emergence of the party’s candidate, insisting that the process that produced Senator Sahabi Yau Kaura did not follow due process as required by the APC constitution and relevant electoral laws.

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He added that his decision to seek judicial intervention was aimed at securing justice, fairness, and adherence to democratic principles within the party.

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