Mahdi Gusau Rejects Shinkafi’s INEC Listing, Say He’s Still APC Card-carry member

By Babangida Abdullahi, Gusau

The Mahdi Aliyu Gusau Campaign Organisation has rejected the emergence of Bilyaminu Shinkafi as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 election in Zamfara State, describing his listing on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal as an alleged manipulation of the electoral process.

The campaign organisation, in a statement issued on Thursday, said it would challenge the development in court and seek the restoration of what it described as Gusau’s “stolen mandate”.

The organisation also challenged those presenting Shinkafi as the ADC candidate to provide evidence of his membership of the party, insisting that he neither participated in the ADC governorship primary nor obtained the party’s nomination form.

It further alleged that Shinkafi remains a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and had participated in the party’s primary election process.

According to the campaign organisation, “Bilyaminu Shinkafi is a known member of the APC and has publicly participated in its primary election processes.”

It argued that his alleged participation in the APC primary raises a legal question over his eligibility to seek the governorship ticket of another political party in the same election cycle.

The campaign organisation said it was prepared to place before the court documentary and other evidence which, according to it, would establish Shinkafi’s alleged APC membership and participation in the party’s primary process.

It also claimed that Shinkafi never formally declared his intention to join the ADC and was not presented to the party leadership or delegates as an aspirant.

The organisation said: “At no point has Bilyaminu Shinkafi formally declared his intention to join the ADC, nor has he been presented to the public or the party leadership as a member. There is no official record of his defection from the APC.”

It maintained that Gusau remained the authentic candidate produced by the ADC governorship primary conducted in Zamfara.

The former deputy governor of the state, according to the statement, polled 35,665 votes to defeat other aspirants at the primary.

The organisation said the exercise was monitored by INEC officials and conducted in the presence of security agencies, party officials and delegates from the 14 local government areas of the state.

It therefore described any subsequent attempt to replace Gusau’s name on the INEC portal as a challenge to the outcome of the primary.

The campaign organisation also alleged that Shinkafi was neither present at the ADC primary nor among those who purchased nomination forms or were cleared to contest the election.

It added that his name was not contained in the list of registered ADC members in Zamfara submitted to INEC as eligible members or delegates.

The group said it had confidence in the judicial process and would immediately commence legal action to challenge the alleged substitution.

“We will not fold our arms and allow this injustice to stand,” the statement said, adding that its legal team was prepared to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.

The organisation urged Gusau’s supporters and ADC members to remain calm and law-abiding, assuring them that the dispute would be resolved through constitutional and legal channels.

It also expressed confidence that Gusau would ultimately contest the 2027 governorship election on the ADC platform.

The campaign organisation said the alleged upload of another name on the INEC portal could not, in itself, erase what it described as the outcome of a duly conducted party primary.

It called on the public and relevant authorities to examine the circumstances surrounding the emergence of Shinkafi’s name and provide evidence establishing his eligibility to represent the ADC.

The organisation concluded that it would rely on the courts to determine the lawful candidate of the party, insisting that “the truth cannot be manipulated.”