Zamfara North senatorial ticket tussle: Shinkafi writes INEC, demands Ya'u's immediate withdrawal

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and aspirant for Zamfara North Senatorial District, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u’s name as the party’s candidate for the 2027 general elections.

Shinkafi’s demand follows the October 20, 2026, judgment of the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division, which dismissed Ya’u’s appeal and affirmed an earlier Federal High Court judgment nullifying the APC’s purported primary election for the senatorial district.

In a letter addressed to the INEC chairman, Shinkafi, through his lawyers, argued that the commission’s continued publication of Ya’u’s name as the APC candidate was inconsistent with the subsisting court judgments.

The letter, titled “Notice of Unlawful Publication of Sen. Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u as APC Candidate for Zamfara North Senatorial District in Defiance of Existing Federal High Court Judgment and Court of Appeal Judgment,” urged the commission to comply with the court decisions.

According to the letter, the Federal High Court in Gusau, in Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/6/2026, set aside the purported APC primary election and ordered the party to conduct a fresh exercise involving all cleared aspirants.

It stated that the Court of Appeal, in Appeal No. CA/S/239/2026, upheld the lower court’s judgment on October 20, 2026, dismissing Ya’u’s appeal as grossly unmeritorious.

The lawyers maintained that INEC had been served with certified true copies of the judgments and was therefore aware of the court orders.

They argued that publishing Ya’u’s name before the fresh primary election or the final determination of the legal dispute would undermine judicial authority and violate established electoral procedures.

“In light of the subsisting judgment of the Court of Appeal, we urge the Commission to immediately withdraw and stay the publication of Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u as the APC candidate,” the letter stated.

Reacting to the development, Shinkafi condemned INEC’s continued recognition of Ya’u as the party’s candidate, warning that the commission’s handling of the matter could affect public confidence in the electoral process.

He said the electoral body had an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law by complying with the court judgments and ensuring that the APC’s candidate selection process followed due procedure.

Shinkafi also alleged that anti-democratic forces were working to prevent the APC from fielding a candidate for Zamfara North Senatorial District, warning against a repeat of past electoral disputes in which court decisions affected political parties’ participation.

He insisted that the matter should be resolved in accordance with the law, stressing that he remained committed to strengthening democratic governance and ensuring fair representation.

The letter, which Shinkafi said had been submitted to and acknowledged by INEC, was accompanied by the Court of Appeal judgment and the commission’s publication listing Ya’u as the APC candidate.

The dispute is expected to remain a significant issue in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections in Zamfara State, particularly regarding compliance with judicial decisions and the selection of the party’s senatorial candidate.