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From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A coalition of aggrieved aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna state has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the party’s national leadership, demanding the cancellation of the National Assembly primaries over alleged imposition of candidates and breaches of party guidelines.
The group, operating under the APC Coalition of Kaduna Senatorial and House of Representatives Frontline Aspirants (CKFA), accused the Kaduna state party leadership of abandoning internal democracy and forcing consensus candidates on aspirants without their consent.
In a protest letter dated May 17, 2026 and addressed to the APC National Chairman in Abuja, the coalition described the exercise as a “sham” and insisted that it must be nullified to protect the integrity of the party.
The letter was jointly signed by several prominent aspirants, including former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Zailani; former Senator Danjuma Laah; activist Yerima Usman Shettima; Hon. Yusuf Bala Ikara; Michael Ayuba Auta; Mohammed Mu’azu Makaddas, among others.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna on behalf of the coalition on Sunday, Senator Laah alleged that the primaries violated Article 20 of the APC Constitution, which stipulates that consensus arrangements are only valid where all cleared aspirants voluntarily sign an agreement.
He maintained that several aspirants across the state’s three senatorial districts never consented to the consensus option, thereby rendering the exercise unconstitutional and invalid.
The coalition further alleged widespread irregularities, including imposition of candidates, exclusion of party members from participating in the process, and interference by top government officials in the conduct of the primaries.
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It also claimed that members of some electoral committees openly stated they were acting on instructions from senior officials of the Kaduna state government.
Particularly in Kaduna Central Senatorial District, the group accused the consensus committee chaired by deputy governor Dr. Hadiza Balarabe of attempting to impose former Senator Shehu Sani as the sole consensus candidate, a move it said was rejected by several aspirants.
According to the coalition, similar complaints of imposition and lack of transparency were recorded in Kaduna North and Kaduna South senatorial districts, where aspirants also demanded open and credible primaries.
The aggrieved aspirants warned that failure by the APC national leadership to intervene could deepen internal divisions in Kaduna state and expose the party to legal disputes ahead of the general elections.
They therefore, gave the party a 48-hour ultimatum to cancel the consensus arrangements and House of Representatives primaries conducted in the state.
The coalition also demanded the conduct of fresh direct primary elections across all senatorial districts and federal constituencies, in line with the APC constitution and electoral guidelines.
It urged the national leadership of the party to act swiftly to restore confidence, unity, and fairness within the party structure ahead of the 2027 elections.
