All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and Zamfara North senatorial aspirant, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u’s name as the party’s candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Shinkafi’s demand follows an October 20, 2026, judgment by the Court of Appeal in Sokoto, which dismissed Ya’u’s appeal and upheld an earlier Federal High Court ruling nullifying the purported APC primary election for the senatorial district.
In a letter addressed to the INEC chairman through his lawyers, Shinkafi argued that the commission’s continued listing of Ya’u as the party’s candidate was inconsistent with the subsisting court judgments.
The letter stated that the Federal High Court in Gusau, in Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/6/2026, had nullified the disputed primary and ordered the APC to conduct a fresh exercise involving all cleared aspirants. The Court of Appeal subsequently upheld the decision in Appeal No. CA/S/239/2026.
Shinkafi’s lawyers said INEC had received certified true copies of the judgments and was therefore aware of the court orders. They argued that retaining Ya’u’s name before a fresh primary or the final resolution of the dispute would undermine judicial authority and established electoral procedures.
“In light of the subsisting judgment of the Court of Appeal, we urge the Commission to immediately withdraw and stay the publication of Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u as the APC candidate,” the letter stated.
Reacting to the development, Shinkafi criticised INEC’s continued recognition of Ya’u, warning that its handling of the matter could undermine public confidence in the electoral process. He urged the commission to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law by complying with the court decisions.
The aspirant also alleged that some anti-democratic forces were working to prevent the APC from fielding a candidate for Zamfara North, warning against a recurrence of electoral disputes that could affect a party’s participation in an election.
Shinkafi said the letter had been submitted to and acknowledged by INEC. He added that it was accompanied by the Court of Appeal judgment and the commission’s publication listing Ya’u as the APC candidate.
The dispute is likely to remain a key issue in the APC’s preparations for the 2027 elections in Zamfara State, particularly over compliance with the court rulings and the process for selecting the party’s senatorial candidate.
