A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), patron of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council 2023 and frontline aspirant for the Zamfara North Senatorial District ticket, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has instituted a suit against the party, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u over his alleged exclusion from the party’s senatorial primary election purportedly conducted on May 19, 2026.

The suit was filed before the Federal High Court sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State, where Shinkafi challenged the process that produced Senator Ya’u as the APC candidate for Zamfara North Senatorial District.

Shinkafi maintained that he neither withdrew from the race nor endorsed any aspirant as a consensus candidate, insisting that the party failed to conduct a valid direct primary election in line with the Electoral Act 2026 and APC guidelines.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Bello Idris Galadi Esq., filed the suit marked FHC/GS/CS/6/2026 on May 25, 2026, seeking the court’s interpretation of several constitutional and statutory provisions relating to party primaries and internal democracy.

“Whether in the light of Section 84(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, the 1st Defendant (APC) was not obligated under the law to conduct primaries for its aspirants at all elective positions;

“Whether in the light of Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, the 1st Defendant (APC) was not duty bound under the law to nominate candidates for the various elective positions by direct primaries or consensus;

“Whether the action of the 1st Defendant (APC) was not an affront to internal democracy and contrary to Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026

“Whether having regards to Section 86 and 87(1), (2) and ((3) of the Electoral Act 2026, Article 20.4(1) of the All Progressives Congress Constitution, Article A, Section (i),(ii),(iii, (iv) of the All Progressives Congress Guidelines (Procedure for the Conduct of Direct and Consensus mode of primaries), the 1st Defendant (APC) had satisfied the requirements of the law,” he said.

In the suit, Shinkafi sought several reliefs, including a declaration that due process was not followed in the conduct of the purported Zamfara North Senatorial District primary election held on May 19, 2026.

He also asked the court to declare that the actions of the APC and Senator Ya’u were inconsistent with the principles of internal democracy within the party.

The plaintiff further prayed the court to declare that there was neither a valid consensus arrangement nor a properly conducted direct primary election for the district.

Shinkafi also sought an order setting aside the purported primary election allegedly conducted by the APC under the supervision of INEC, as well as an order directing the party to conduct a fresh primary election involving all cleared aspirants.

He equally requested the court to compel the defendants to uphold internal democracy and credible electoral processes in future party nominations, alongside a perpetual injunction restraining them from further breaches of constitutional and statutory provisions.

He added, “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 ₦20 million on 30th April 2026, submitted the completed forms and was screened by a committee set up by the party which cleared three aspirants from Zamfara North Senatorial District to contest the primary election namely, Hanafi Musa Moriki, Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi and Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u.” (The Guardian)

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