Shinkafi rejects alleged imposition of Senator Yau in Zamfara North, petitions National Chairman

By Jude Opara

An aspirant for the Zamfara North Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has petitioned the National Chairman of the party, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, over the alleged imposition of Senator Sahabi Alhaji Yau as the sole senatorial aspirant for the district.

Shinkafi, in a petition dated May 20, 2026, accused the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and former governors Senator Ahmed Rufai Sani, Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, of orchestrating his exclusion from the senatorial primary election.

He described the development as a violation of the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2026 and the APC constitution, warning that such actions could jeopardize the party’s chances in the state in the 2027 general elections.

The petitioner further alleged that Matawalle and the other political leaders in the state claimed that President Bola Tinubu had directed all senatorial aspirants to step down for serving senators ahead of the APC primaries held on May 19, 2026, insisting that there was no consultation before the alleged directive was announced.

“I was never consulted or invited for any meeting on the so-called consensus arrangements. I did not withdraw from the senatorial race, did not write any letter that I stepped down, and did not make any private or public statements that I withdrew from the primary.”

According to him, the purported consensus arrangement contravened Sections 84, 85, 86 and 87 of the Electoral Act 2026, particularly the provision requiring written consent from all cleared aspirants before the adoption of a consensus candidate.

He further accused APC leaders in Zamfara State of “murdering democracy,” alleging that the exercise was characterized by intimidation, imposition of unpopular candidates and the sidelining of screened aspirants.

The former governorship aspirant warned the ruling party to guide against repeating the mistakes that led to the party’s loss in Zamfara during the 2019 general elections following the Supreme Court judgment which invalidated the party’s primaries in the state.

He said the current situation could produce similar consequences if urgent corrective measures were not taken.

“The actions of these self-imposed godfathers in Zamfara State is political suicide,” he stated.