A Call for Transparent Primaries in Zamfara APC
A former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, Sani Shinkafi, has issued a strong warning to party leaders about the dangers of imposing candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement released in Abuja on Thursday, Shinkafi emphasized the need for transparency and credibility in the party’s selection process.
He pointed out that the APC must ensure all aspirants go through credible primaries to avoid repeating the mistakes that led to the party’s electoral losses in the 2019 and 2023 polls in the state. Shinkafi aligned himself with the resolutions from the APC stakeholders’ meeting chaired by former Governor Senator Abdul’aziz Yari in Talata Mafara on November 1.
“Every aspirant must face a popularity test by contesting credible and valid primaries, regardless of their status within the APC or Zamfara State,” he stated. “This is to prevent the blunders the party made in the 2019 and 2023 general elections, which resulted in its defeat in its stronghold. These mistakes should not happen again.”
The meeting also resolved that no candidates would be imposed in the upcoming election cycle. According to Shinkafi, stakeholders unanimously agreed that “the party should not adopt an unpopular candidate for any election, no matter his or her status in the APC.” They advised aspirants to return to their constituencies to build genuine grassroots support.
Shinkafi reminded party leaders of Section 84(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022, which mandates political parties to conduct primaries monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He added that consensus is only valid where there is “the written consent of all cleared aspirants.”
The meeting, which also endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term, aimed at “repositioning the party for the 2027 general election” and preventing a repeat of past crises that led to legal battles, defections, and major electoral losses.
Shinkafi cautioned that the APC in Zamfara must now “change the narrative, reorganise, and reposition the party for future elections.” He insisted that the resolutions reached at the Yari-led meeting “should not be swept under the carpet.”
Historical Context of APC’s Challenges in Zamfara
PUNCH Online reported that in the lead-up to the 2019 general election, the Zamfara APC was deeply factionalized. A bloc of eight governorship hopefuls known as the G8 — including Senator Kabiru Marafa, General Mansur Dan-Ali, former Governor Mahmud Shinkafi, Mallam Muhammad Wakkala, Abu Magaji, Alhaji Sagir Hamidu, Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji, and Dauda Lawal — opposed the emergence of Hon. Mukhtar Idris, who was backed by then-Governor Abdul’aziz Yari.
The party failed to conduct valid primaries before the deadline for submission to INEC but still forwarded Idris’ name as its candidate. Although the High Court in Gusau affirmed his candidacy, the case escalated to the Supreme Court, which, on May 24, 2019, nullified all APC votes in the state and transferred victory to the PDP. Consequently, Bello Matawalle became governor.
Matawalle, however, defected to the APC in 2021.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, the APC again adopted a consensus approach, denying several incumbents and popular figures tickets. While the party won the presidential vote in Zamfara, Matawalle lost his re-election bid, winning only one local government area.
The APC also suffered heavy defeats in the state assembly as well as in some senatorial and House of Representatives seats — losses analysts attributed to widespread resentment over imposed candidates.
The Broader Implications
The practice of imposing candidates by powerful party interests remains widespread in Nigerian politics. It often sidelines more popular aspirants, fuels internal rebellion, and results in defections, litigation, and electoral setbacks.