Primary elections: Shinkafi drags APC, INEC to court, makes demands

One of the frontline aspirants for the Zamfara North Senatorial District, Alhaji Sani Shinkafi, has dragged the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Federal High Court, Gusau, challenging the outcome of the party’s primary election in the senatorial district.

The former All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, chieftain is alleging imposition of a candidate, saying there was no consensus among cleared aspirants to present a candidate.

He said there was no written consent indicating his voluntary withdrawal from the race, adding that he did not endorse any aspirant as a consensus candidate.

He said the APC did not follow due process before declaring Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u as consensus candidate for Zamfara North on May 19, 2026, insisting that the attitude of the APC is a clear disdain for democracy and the internal democracy of political parties in the country.

Shinkafi said serious measures must be taken to forestall further abuse of the law by persons in authority to avert chaos, lawlessness and dictatorship, adding that the continued abuse of the law by the defendants would ruin society and retard it to nothingness.

The former governorship candidate told the court that society would suffer irreparable damage if the reliefs sought were not granted.

Shinkafi, Patron of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council 2023 and frontline aspirant for the Zamfara North Senatorial District ticket, filed the suit against the party, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u at the Federal High Court, Gusau, Zamfara State.

Counsel to Shinkafi, Bello Idris Galadi Esq., filed Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/6/2026, dated May 25, 2026, praying the court to interpret some constitutional and statutory provisions and determine the following questions of law:

“Whether, in the light of Section 84(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, the 1st Defendant (APC) was not obligated under the law to conduct primaries for its aspirants for all elective positions;

“Whether, in the light of Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, the 1st Defendant (APC) was not duty-bound under the law to nominate candidates for the various elective positions by direct primaries or consensus;

“Whether the action of the 1st Defendant (APC) was not an affront to internal democracy and contrary to Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026;

“Whether, having regard to Sections 86 and 87(1), (2) and (3) of the Electoral Act 2026, Article 20.4(1) of the All Progressives Congress Constitution, and Article A, Sections (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) of the All Progressives Congress Guidelines (Procedure for the Conduct of Direct and Consensus Mode of Primaries), the 1st Defendant (APC) had satisfied the requirements of the law.”

Shinkafi made the following claims against APC, INEC and Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u:

“A declaration that due process was not followed by the Defendants in conducting the purported primary election for Zamfara North Senatorial District, which was purportedly held on May 19, 2026;

“A declaration that the actions of the 1st and 3rd Defendants are inconsistent with and repugnant to the internal democracy of the 1st Defendant (APC);

“A declaration that there was no consensus or direct primary for the nomination of candidates for the Zamfara North Senatorial District purportedly held on May 19, 2026;

“An order of this Honourable Court setting aside the purported primary election for the Zamfara North Senatorial District, purportedly conducted by the 1st Defendant (APC), under the purported supervision of the 2nd Defendant (INEC), purportedly held on May 19, 2026;

“An order of this Honourable Court directing the 1st Defendant (APC) to conduct a fresh primary election for Zamfara North Senatorial District for all cleared aspirants;

“An order of this Honourable Court directing the Defendants to henceforth consolidate and sustain party internal democracy by ensuring credible elections for the nomination of candidates for elective positions and upholding the rule of law;

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, privies and assigns from committing further breach of the aforesaid constitutional and statutory provisions; and for such further or other orders as the justice of this case may demand.”

In a 21-paragraph affidavit, Shinkafi stated that he purchased the APC expression of interest and nomination forms for the Zamfara North Senatorial District and was issued a receipt for the sum of N20 million on April 30, 2026. He submitted the completed forms and was screened by a committee set up by the party, which cleared three aspirants from Zamfara North Senatorial District to contest the primary election, namely Hanafi Musa Moriki, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi and Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u.

Shinkafi had earlier condemned the arbitrary imposition of a candidate for the Zamfara North Senatorial District and forwarded a petition to the APC National Chairman and the Chairman of the APC Senate Primary Election Committee.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter, which could upset the political equation in Zamfara State ahead of the 2027 general election.

Primary elections: Shinkafi drags APC, INEC to court, makes demands