Shinkafi Denies Stepping Down for Serving Senators in Zamfara APC Primaries

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and aspirant for the Zamfara North Senatorial District, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has denied stepping down for the serving senator from his zone, while accusing the party leadership in Zamfara State of imposing candidates during the APC senatorial primaries.

Mr Shinkafi described the alleged adoption and affirmation of “anointed aspirants” as “political banditry,” alleging that the process was orchestrated by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, alongside former and serving political leaders in the state.

The former governorship candidate claimed that aspirants were pressured to withdraw from the race in favour of serving senators, allegedly on the grounds that President Bola Tinubu had directed such an arrangement.

Abdullahi Shinkafi, however, argued that the alleged directive contradicted earlier assurances by both President Tinubu and APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, that the party would uphold internal democracy and comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

Citing Section 84 of the Electoral Act, he maintained that political parties are required to conduct valid primaries or adopt consensus arrangements only through due consultation and agreement among aspirants.

According to him, no meeting was convened, and he was neither consulted nor informed about any consensus arrangement.

“I did not withdraw from the senatorial race, did not write any letter of withdrawal and did not make any public or private statement stepping down,” he stated.

The APC aspirant warned that the current crisis could jeopardise the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections in Zamfara State if not properly handled.

He recalled the 2019 political crisis in Zamfara, where the Supreme Court nullified all APC victories over irregularities surrounding the party’s primaries and ordered that mandates be handed to parties that came second in the elections.

Mr Shinkafi alleged that history was on the verge of repeating itself if the party failed to strictly adhere to constitutional provisions, the Electoral Act and APC guidelines.

He vowed to challenge his exclusion from the primary election in court, insisting that democracy and the rule of law must prevail within the party.