APC Crisis: Dr Shinkafi Writes INEC, Seeks Removal of Senator Ya’u as Candidate

By Abdullahi Alhassan

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately withdraw Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u’s name as the APC candidate for Zamfara North Senatorial District, citing a recent Court of Appeal judgement that nullified the party’s primary.

Dr, Shinkafi, who is also an aspirant for the seat, said INEC was “defying” subsisting court orders by continuing to list Ya’u as the candidate, despite being a party to the case and having been duly served with the judgements.

In a statement issued in to Newsmen, Dr Shinkafi said the integrity of the electoral umpire was at stake if it refused to obey the courts. “Publishing Ya’u’s name in the face of judgements of courts of competent jurisdiction undermines the judiciary as the temple of justice,” he said.

The controversy stems from two court decisions. On August 31, 2026, Justice Hassan Dikko of the Federal High Court in Gusau nullified the APC Zamfara North primary held on May 19, 2026, for non-compliance with the Electoral Act and party guidelines. The court held that there was no valid candidate.

Dissatisfied, Senator Ya’u approached the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division. But on October 20, 2026, Justice Abubakar M. Talba dismissed the appeal marked CA/S/239/2026 as “grossly unmeritorious” and affirmed the Federal High Court judgement.

The Appeal Court also ordered the APC to conduct a fresh primary for all cleared aspirants for the Zamfara North Senatorial District. INEC was joined as a party in the suit.

Dr, Shinkafi said it was “curious and inconceivable” that INEC continued to publish Ya’u’s name as the APC candidate for the 2027 election, despite the clear orders of both the High Court and the Appeal Court.

“As a democratic institution, INEC has the opportunity to redeem its image, obey the clear judgement of the Court of Appeal, rebuild public trust and uphold electoral integrity essential for sustainable democracy,” he said.

The APC chieftain alleged that the insistence on keeping Ya’u’s name was part of a wider agenda to ensure the APC does not field a candidate in Zamfara North, as happened in previous elections in the state.

He recalled that in 2019, the Supreme Court nullified APC primaries in Zamfara and awarded the party’s victories to the runner-up, including the governorship. “The agenda of anti-democratic forces is to repeat that scenario,” Shinkafi alleged.

“Let it be clear, this injustice shall not stand,” he added. “As a democrat, loyal party member and patriotic citizen, I will contribute in deepening, strengthening and consolidating representative governance in Nigeria.”

Dr, Shinkafi said he had instructed his lawyers to write to the INEC Chairman, a letter which he said had been submitted and acknowledged by the commission.

In the letter dated October 27, 2026, and signed by S.Y. Aliyu Esq of Yas Law Firm, the lawyers reminded INEC of the two judgements and the order for fresh primaries. They urged the commission to “immediately withdraw and stay the publication” of Ya’u’s name pending the fresh primary or final determination at the Supreme Court.

The lawyers argued that publishing any candidate’s name before the court-ordered fresh primary “undermines the judiciary and violates electoral jurisprudence.”

They attached copies of the Court of Appeal judgement and INEC’s current publication listing Ya’u as the APC candidate for Zamfara North.

As of press time, INEC had not responded to the demand. The commission is expected to release the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections in the coming weeks.