Shinkafi sues APC at Federal High Court over alleged imposition of Zamfara North senatorial candidate

Former All Progressives Grand Alliance chieftain and frontline senatorial aspirant, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has dragged the All Progressives Congress before the Federal High Court in Gusau, challenging the outcome of the party’s Zamfara North Senatorial District primary election.

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Shinkafi is contesting the emergence of Sahabi Alhaji Yau as the APC consensus candidate, alleging that the party imposed a candidate without following due process or obtaining the consent of cleared aspirants.

The suit, filed before the Federal High Court in Gusau, also joined the Independent National Electoral Commission and Senator Ya’u as defendants.

In the court action, the politician argued that there was no valid consensus agreement among aspirants and that he never voluntarily withdrew from the race or endorsed any candidate.

Shinkafi sues APC amid growing political tension in Zamfara State ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the conduct of the party primary violated both the Electoral Act 2026 and the APC constitution.

According to the suit filed by his counsel, Bello Idris Galadi, the APC failed to comply with statutory provisions requiring political parties to conduct either direct primaries or a lawful consensus process.

The plaintiff asked the court to determine whether the APC complied with Sections 84, 86 and 87 of the Electoral Act 2026 regarding the nomination of candidates for elective positions.

Shinkafi also questioned whether the party’s actions amounted to a breach of internal democracy.

Among the reliefs sought, the former governorship candidate requested a declaration that due process was not followed in the purported primary election conducted on May 19, 2026.

He further asked the court to nullify the exercise and order the APC to conduct a fresh primary election for all cleared aspirants in Zamfara North Senatorial District.

Shinkafi sues APC after previously condemning what he described as the arbitrary imposition of a candidate and forwarding a petition to the party’s national leadership and the APC Senate Primary Election Committee.

In a 21-paragraph affidavit attached to the suit, the aspirant stated that he purchased the APC expression of interest and nomination forms for N20 million on April 30, 2026.

He added that after submitting the completed forms, he was screened and cleared alongside two other aspirants, Hanafi Musa Moriki and Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u.

According to him, no valid consensus meeting was held to produce a candidate, while no written consent was obtained from aspirants as required by law.

Shinkafi warned that continued disregard for due process within political parties could undermine democracy and encourage lawlessness.

He argued that failure to grant the reliefs sought could cause irreparable political and institutional damage.

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The court is yet to fix a date for hearing in the matter, which political observers say could significantly reshape the political equation in Zamfara State ahead of the 2027 polls.