A former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, Sani Shinkafi, has warned party leaders against imposing candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement released in Abuja on Thursday, Shinkafi appealed to the party to uphold transparency and fairness in its primaries to prevent a recurrence of the internal crises that affected its fortunes in the 2019 and 2023 polls.
He aligned himself with the resolutions of the APC stakeholders’ meeting held in Talata Mafara on November 1, chaired by former governor Abdul’aziz Yari, which rejected 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 urged party stakeholders to reflect on past mistakes and focus on restructuring and strengthening APC ahead of the 2027 elections to avoid internal divisions and electoral setbacks.
The Zamfara APC has long struggled with internal disputes over candidate selection, notably in the 2019 elections when the Supreme Court voided its victories due to flawed primaries. Similar rifts in 2023 also contributed to the party’s losses in key political offices.
