ADC Ticket: Mahdi Camp Alleges Irregularities in Shinkafi’s Candidacy

From Babangida Abdullahi, Gusau

The Mahdi Campaign Organisation has petitioned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding the removal of Hon. Bilyaminu Yusuf Shinkafi as the party’s purported governorship candidate for Zamfara State in the 2027 general elections.

The organisation is seeking recognition for Mahdi Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, whom it claims won the party’s governorship primary held on May 22, 2026.

In separate petitions dated October 22, 2026, the group and its legal representatives raised concerns over Shinkafi’s alleged participation in the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Zamfara North and his purported absence from the ADC membership register submitted to INEC before the party’s governorship primary.

The organisation urged the ADC National Working Committee (NWC) to investigate the circumstances surrounding Shinkafi’s emergence and ensure that the party complies with the applicable electoral laws.

According to the petitions, Shinkafi participated in the APC senatorial primary conducted on May 18 and 19, 2026, raising questions, in the organisation’s view, about his eligibility to emerge as the ADC governorship candidate.

The group also alleged that his name was missing from the ADC membership register submitted to INEC in April 2026.

It called on the electoral commission to verify the membership records and examine the documents submitted by the party in connection with the disputed nomination.

Dispute Over Primary

The organisation maintained that Mahdi Aliyu Gusau participated in and won the ADC governorship primary conducted in Zamfara on May 22, 2026.

It claimed that INEC officials monitored the exercise and that the commission possessed a certified true copy of the primary election monitoring report documenting the outcome.

The campaign organisation expressed concern over what it described as a subsequent attempt to present Shinkafi as the party’s candidate based on another purported primary exercise.

It asked INEC to examine its records and establish the circumstances behind the competing claims to the party’s governorship ticket.

The group further requested that the commission verify whether Shinkafi was a registered member of the ADC before the primary and whether the party complied with statutory requirements for notifying INEC of the disputed exercise.

It also urged the commission to examine relevant records relating to his alleged participation in the APC senatorial primary.

Cites Electoral Act

In its petition, the organisation’s legal representatives cited Sections 77, 82, 84, 115 and 119 of the Electoral Act 2026, arguing that the allegations surrounding Shinkafi’s nomination warranted investigation.

They also referenced the Supreme Court decision in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party, identified in the petition as SC/CV/495/2026, in support of their arguments concerning compliance with membership-register requirements.

The legal representatives urged INEC to verify the relevant records before determining the validity of the nomination.

They also asked the commission to refer any suspected criminal conduct to the appropriate authorities if the evidence warranted such action.

The allegations contained in the petitions have not been independently verified, and no response from Shinkafi, the ADC leadership or INEC was included in the statement announcing the petitions.

Seeks Urgent Intervention

The Mahdi Campaign Organisation urged the ADC national leadership to intervene in the dispute, warning that unresolved questions surrounding the nomination could threaten the party’s preparations for the 2027 governorship election in Zamfara.

It called on the party to remove Shinkafi if the allegations are established and the relevant authorities determine that his nomination violates the law.

The organisation also urged the ADC to recognise Mahdi Aliyu Gusau as the winner of the primary and submit the appropriate candidate’s particulars to INEC in accordance with the applicable legal procedures.

It asked the electoral commission to scrutinise the membership register, primary election monitoring reports, notices of the disputed exercise and other documents relating to the competing claims.

The group said its action was intended to protect internal democracy and the interests of ADC members and supporters in Zamfara State.

“We are not asking for favour. We are asking for the enforcement of the law, the protection of internal democracy and the survival of our great party,” the organisation said in its petition.

It added that the party’s interests should take precedence over individual political ambitions, urging its national leadership to resolve the dispute through lawful and transparent procedures.

The petition was signed by Mallam Salisu Lawal on behalf of the Mahdi Campaign Organisation.