Alleged candidate imposition: APC, INEC dragged to court

From Okwe Obi, Abuja

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, an aspirant for Zamfara North Senatorial District, Sani Shinkafi, has dragged the party, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Senator Sahabi Ya’u to the Federal High Court in Gusau, Zamfara State over his exclusion from the party’s senatorial primary election conducted on Tuesday, 19th May 2026.

Shinkafi stated that he did not withdraw from the race, neither did he endorse any aspirant as the consensus candidate, and demanded a fresh direct primary election as stipulated in the electoral laws and APC guidelines for the conduct of direct and consensus mode of primaries.

His counsel, Bello Idris Galadi Esq., filed Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/6/2026, dated 25th May 2026, praying the court to interpret certain constitutional and statutory provisions, including whether the APC was obligated under Section 84(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 to conduct primaries for its aspirants at all elective positions, and whether the party’s actions constituted an affront to internal democracy contrary to Section 86 of the same Act.

Among the specific reliefs sought, Shinkafi asked the court to declare that due process was not followed in conducting the purported primary for Zamfara North Senatorial District, that there was no valid consensus or direct primary held on 19th May 2026, and that the actions of the APC and Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u were inconsistent with and repugnant to the party’s internal democracy.

He further sought an order setting aside the purported primary election, directing the APC to conduct a fresh primary for all cleared aspirants, and a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, privies and assigns from committing further breaches of the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions.

In a 21 paragraph affidavit, Shinkafi stated that he purchased the APC expression of interest and nomination forms for Zamfara North Senatorial District and was issued a receipt in the sum of N20 million on 30th April 2026, submitted the completed forms and was screened and cleared by the party’s committee alongside two other aspirants, Hanafi Musa Moriki and Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u, to contest the primary election.