A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Zamfara State governorship candidate, Alhaji (Dr.) Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has declared that only credible, transparent, and people-driven primaries will determine who flies the APC flag in the 2027 general elections.
Shinkafi, who served as Patron of the Tinubu–Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (2023) and leads the Wamban Shinkafi Democratic Front, said the era of godfatherism and candidate imposition in the APC is over. He insisted that every aspirant, regardless of status, must face the people in a fair contest.
In a personally signed statement, Shinkafi urged the APC in Zamfara to embrace internal democracy and learn from past mistakes that cost the party dearly in previous elections. He aligned himself with the resolutions of the APC stakeholders’ meeting chaired by former Governor Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari in Talata Mafara, which rejected the imposition of candidates and endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in 2027.
“All aspirants shall test their popularity at the party primaries, notwithstanding their status within the APC family,” Shinkafi said. “This is to avoid the blunders of 2019 and 2023, when internal divisions and impositions led to our defeat in strongholds that should have been ours.”
The meeting, attended by party elders, lawmakers, former commissioners, and local government executives, resolved that all primaries must comply strictly with the Electoral Act 2022, INEC regulations, and APC electoral guidelines.
Stakeholders further agreed that the consensus option should only apply when all aspirants voluntarily step down and give written consent, as required by law.
Shinkafi emphasized that discipline, due process, and the rule of law are crucial for the APC’s revival in Zamfara. Reflecting on the 2019 setback, he recalled how the party’s internal crisis and invalid primaries led the Supreme Court to nullify its victories, handing power to the opposition PDP.
A similar scenario, he noted, played out in 2023 when unpopular consensus candidates alienated members and voters alike.
“Unacceptable candidates were imposed on the people, and they were rejected by the electorate who abhor imposition,” he lamented.
Although President Tinubu won convincingly in Zamfara at the presidential level, Shinkafi said the APC’s losses in the governorship and legislative polls exposed deep structural and leadership problems that must be addressed urgently.
He revealed that the party’s stakeholders have agreed to pursue unity, reconciliation, and discipline while discouraging defections and blackmail that weaken the APC’s base.
“It is time to work as one political family and build a greater, prosperous Zamfara that future generations will be proud of,” Shinkafi stated.
The Wamban Shinkafi Democratic Front, according to him, has fully adopted the resolutions of the November 1 meeting, describing them as a blueprint to restore APC’s dominance in Zamfara.
Shinkafi expressed optimism that if the resolutions are implemented faithfully, the APC will recover its lost glory and approach the 2027 elections from a position of strength.
“If we adhere to due process and credible primaries, our great party will bounce back—stronger, united, and ready to win again,” he affirmed.
Political observers view Shinkafi’s intervention as part of a broader movement within the APC to rebuild trust, restore fairness in candidate selection, and solidify the party’s hold ahead of 2027.
