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 what he described as the imposition of Senator Sahabi Alhaji Yau as the sole senatorial aspirant for the district.

In a petition dated May 20, 2026, Shinkafi accused the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, alongside 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.

The APC chieftain 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 2027 general elections in Zamfara State.

Shinkafi alleged that Matawalle and other political leaders in the state claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed all senatorial aspirants to step down for serving senators ahead of the APC primaries held on May 19, 2026.

According to him, there was no consultation or meeting with aspirants before the alleged directive was announced. He said: “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 stating that I stepped down, and did not make any private or public statements that I withdrew from the primary.”

Shinkafi argued that 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.