Zamfara APC faces court battle over disputed consensus candidate
Sani Shinkafi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and Zamfara North Senatorial District aspirant, has taken the party and others to court, challenging the selection of Sahabi Ya’u as consensus candidate. He claims that no valid consensus was reached and that he did not withdraw from the race or endorse any candidate. Shinkafi alleges that the APC violated its own rules and the Electoral Act, seeking a fresh primary and court intervention. The legal move follows his earlier petitions to party leadership over the alleged imposition.
Key takeaways
- Sani Shinkafi sued the APC, INEC, and Sahabi Ya’u at the Federal High Court in Gusau over the selection process for Zamfara North’s senatorial candidate.
- The suit, filed by his counsel Bello Idris Galadi on May 25, challenges the emergence of Ya’u as consensus candidate, citing lack of a valid consensus agreement.
- Shinkafi insists he did not withdraw or endorse any aspirant before the primary allegedly held on May 19, 2026.
- He claims the APC breached the Electoral Act 2026 and internal party guidelines, seeking the nullification of the primary and a fresh election.
- Shinkafi purchased nomination forms for ₦20 million on April 30, 2026, and was among three aspirants cleared to contest, but maintains no consensus or written consent was reached.
