A former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Zamfara State, Sani Shinkafi, has cautioned party leaders against imposing candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, Shinkafi urged the party to ensure transparent and credible primaries to avoid a repeat of the crises that undermined its performance in the 2019 and 2023 elections.
He aligned himself with the resolutions reached at the APC stakeholders’ meeting held in Talata Mafara on November 1, chaired by former governor Abdul’aziz Yari, which opposed the imposition of candidates in future elections.
According to him, all aspirants should undergo credible primaries regardless of their status in the party, noting that only a popular and widely accepted candidate can secure victory for APC in Zamfara.
Shinkafi also 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 stressed that consensus is valid only when all cleared aspirants give written consent.
He advised party stakeholders to learn from past mistakes and work towards reorganising and strengthening APC ahead of the 2027 polls to prevent internal divisions and electoral losses.
The Zamfara APC has previously faced internal conflicts over candidate selection, including during the 2019 elections when the Supreme Court nullified its victories due to invalid primaries. Similar disputes also affected the party’s performance in 2023, leading to losses in key positions.
