A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and aspirant for the Zamfara North Senatorial District, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u’s name as the party’s senatorial candidate. This follows a Court of Appeal judgement upholding the nullification of the disputed primary election. Shinkafi made the call in a press statement, condemning INEC’s continued publication of Ya’u as the APC candidate.
The Court of Appeal, in its judgement delivered on October 20, 2026, by Justice Abubakar M. Talba, dismissed Ya’u’s appeal as grossly unmeritorious and affirmed the decision of the Federal High Court in Gusau in Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/6/2026. The lower court had nullified the purported APC primary election for the Zamfara North Senatorial District and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary involving all aspirants who had been cleared to participate.
According to Shinkafi, INEC’s continued recognition of Ya’u as the party’s candidate, despite the court decisions, raises serious questions about the commission’s commitment to the rule of law and the integrity of the electoral process. The APC chieftain said INEC had been duly served with certified true copies of the judgements and was a party to the legal proceedings. He argued that the commission should respect the decisions of courts of competent jurisdiction.
Shinkafi warned that failure to comply with the court’s directive could undermine public confidence in the judiciary and the electoral umpire ahead of the 2027 general elections. “As a democratic institution, it is inconceivable that INEC will glaringly violate electoral jurisprudence at this critical stage of the 2027 general election process,” Shinkafi stated. He urged the commission to use the opportunity to rebuild public trust, uphold electoral integrity and demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law.
Shinkafi also expressed concern that the controversy could affect the APC’s participation in the Zamfara North senatorial contest if the party failed to comply with the court’s directive to conduct a fresh primary. He alleged that anti-democratic forces were working to prevent the APC from fielding a candidate in the district, drawing parallels with previous election disputes in which court decisions affected the party’s candidates.
In a further move to press his demand, Shinkafi disclosed that he had instructed his lawyer to write formally to the INEC chairman over the publication of Ya’u’s name. The letter, dated October 27, 2026, and signed by S.Y. Aliyu, Esq., of Yas Law Firm, notified the commission of what the lawyers described as the unlawful publication of Ya’u’s name as the APC candidate in defiance of existing court judgements.
The development has significant implications for the APC and INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections. Shinkafi’s demand for INEC to withdraw Ya’u’s name as the APC candidate is based on the Court of Appeal’s judgement, which upheld the nullification of the disputed primary election. The outcome of this controversy will be closely watched by stakeholders in the Nigerian electoral process.
Key points
- Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi urges INEC to withdraw Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u’s name as APC candidate following Court of Appeal judgement.
- The Court of Appeal judgement upheld the nullification of the disputed primary election, ordering a fresh primary involving all cleared aspirants.
- Shinkafi warns that INEC’s non-compliance could undermine public confidence in the judiciary and the electoral umpire ahead of the 2027 general elections.
