By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
A fresh legal dispute has emerged over the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Zamfara North following a demand by APC chieftain and aspirant, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the publication of Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u as the party’s candidate.
Shinkafi, through his lawyers, YAS Law Firm, said the publication was inconsistent with a judgment of the Federal High Court in Gusau which nullified the APC primary conducted on May 19, 2026, and ordered the party to conduct a fresh exercise involving all cleared aspirants.
The demand was contained in a letter dated September 18, 2026, addressed to the INEC Chairman.
The dispute arose from Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/6/2026, initially filed by Shinkafi against the APC, INEC and Senator Ya’u over the process that produced Ya’u as the party’s candidate for the Zamfara North senatorial district. Reports from the time of the filing said Shinkafi challenged the validity of the primary and sought a fresh exercise.
Justice Hassan Dikko of the Federal High Court, Gusau Judicial Division, subsequently delivered judgment in the matter on August 31, 2026.
According to Shinkafi and his legal representatives, the court set aside the May 19 primary on grounds of non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, the APC Constitution and the party’s guidelines.
They further said the court directed the APC to conduct a fresh primary involving all cleared aspirants within 14 days of the judgment and directed INEC to accept and publish the name of the candidate who validly emerges from the fresh exercise. Recent reports have also described the judgment and these orders in those terms.
YAS Law Firm, in the September 18 letter signed by S.Y. Aliyu, urged the electoral commission to withdraw Ya’u’s name pending compliance with the court’s directives or the final determination of any appeal.
The lawyers argued that proceeding with the publication before the fresh primary or the conclusion of appellate proceedings would undermine the effect of the court’s judgment.
Shinkafi also criticised the publication, describing it as inappropriate and calling on INEC to comply with what he described as the subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court.
He argued that INEC, as the electoral umpire, has a responsibility to protect the integrity of political party nomination processes and to ensure compliance with relevant judicial decisions.
The APC chieftain further referred to previous Supreme Court decisions involving disputed party primaries, arguing that failure to comply with statutory and judicial requirements in nomination processes can have consequences for political parties and their candidates.
The legal notice reportedly attached a certified true copy of the Federal High Court judgment as well as INEC’s publication of Ya’u’s name, with the lawyers asking the commission to stay further action on the nomination.
Shinkafi’s position is that the next step should be the conduct of the fresh primary ordered by the court, after which INEC should deal with the candidate who emerges from the exercise.
The controversy adds another layer to the dispute over the APC’s Zamfara North senatorial nomination ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Shinkafi, who remains an aspirant for the seat, said he was committed to pursuing the matter through lawful channels and urged INEC to review the publication in light of the Federal High Court judgment.
As of the latest reports reviewed, Shinkafi’s lawyers have formally challenged the publication, while the legal implications of the judgment and any subsequent appeal remain matters for the courts and relevant electoral authorities.
