By Musa Baba Adamu with agency report
A former Zamfara governorship candidate Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi has accused leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of undermining internal democracy following his exclusion from the Zamfara North senatorial primary election.
Shinkafi specifically blamed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, alleging that the emergence of consensus candidates was imposed without consultation with other aspirants.
In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, Shinkafi claimed that Matawalle arrived Zamfara with some former and serving governors allegedly conveying directives that all senatorial aspirants should step down for incumbent lawmakers ahead of the APC primaries.
According to him, the arrangement contradicted earlier assurances by President Bola Tinubu and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda that democratic procedures and the Electoral Act 2026 would guide the nomination process.
The former governorship candidate warned that the alleged imposition of candidates could weaken the APC’s chances in Zamfara during the 2027 general election, recalling how internal disputes over party primaries contributed to the APC losing all elective positions in the state after the 2019 Supreme Court judgement.
Shinkafi described the current development as “political suicide” and “political banditry,” insisting he neither withdrew from the Zamfara North senatorial race nor consented to any consensus arrangement.
He subsequently directed his supporters to boycott the primary election and remain peaceful, while announcing plans to challenge his exclusion in court.
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