Former governorship candidate in Zamfara State, Sani Shinkafi, on Thursday wrote the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, protesting the alleged “imposition” of Senator Sahabi Yau as the sole candidate for the Zamfara North senatorial seat.
In the petition made available to journalists in Abuja, Shinkafi vowed to drag the party to court over his exclusion from the primary election, which he claimed was orchestrated by top political actors in the state, as well as some former and serving governors.
He lamented that the process leading to the senatorial primaries was not conducted in line with democratic principles, the APC constitution, and provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, insisting that the arrangement amounted to imposition rather than consensus.
The petition read, “It became necessary for me to request your immediate intervention against this impunity, injustice, flagrant disregard for the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Electoral Act 2026 and the constitution of our great party, All Progressives Congress.
“On different occasions, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stated that the All Progressives Congress would adhere to democratic principles and the rule of law as enshrined in the Electoral Act 2026, particularly on how a political party would nominate candidates for elections.
“Unfortunately, the exercise was marred by voter intimidation, threat to life, imposition of unpopular candidates, and sidelining of screened and cleared aspirants for the National Assembly primaries.”
Shinkafi further alleged that aspirants were sidelined and that the process was influenced by claims of a presidential directive requiring withdrawal in favour of serving senators, an order he said was neither properly communicated nor consistent with the party’s earlier position on internal democracy.
Citing provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, he argued that political parties are required to conduct primaries through direct, indirect or properly validated consensus arrangements backed by the written consent of all aspirants, insisting that no such consent was obtained in his case.
The APC aspirant warned that the development could undermine the party’s chances in Zamfara State, recalling the 2019 electoral crisis in the state that led to the nullification of APC victories across various positions by the Supreme Court over flawed primaries.
“I was never consulted or invited for any meeting on the so-called consensus arrangements. That was how APC lost all the seats it won in the 2019 general election, including the governorship.
“It was common knowledge in Zamfara State that political thugs and hoodlums were mobilised to disrupt the senatorial primaries in the state to pave the way for the illegal consensus,” he said.
Shinkafi, who insisted he did not withdraw from the race, said he would challenge his exclusion in court and directed his supporters to boycott what he described as an “undemocratic affirmation exercise.”
“I did not withdraw from the senatorial race, did not write any letter that I stepped down, did not make any private or public statements that I withdrew from the primary.
“This injustice shall not stand. I will challenge my exclusion from Zamfara North Senatorial Primary in the Court of Law,” he stated.
He urged the APC national leadership to intervene urgently, restore internal democracy and ensure strict compliance with the party’s guidelines and the Electoral Act.
