INEC faces backlash over Zamfara North APC ticket

…As aspirant says commission disobeyed court order

From Okwe Obi, Abuja

An aspirant for Zamfara North Senatorial District, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 polls, Sani Shinkafi, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of disobeying a Federal High Court verdict by publishing the name of Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u as the party’s candidate.

Shinkafi, in a statement yesterday, said the publication contradicted a judgment of the Federal High Court in Gusau, which nullified the APC’s senatorial primary poll held in May, 2026, and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary.

The court, according to Shinkafi, also directed INEC to accept and publish the name of whoever emerges from the fresh primary.

The APC urged INEC to withdraw Ya’u’s name, stating that publishing the candidate before the fresh primary is held or the matter is determined by the appellate courts could undermine the court process.

The Federal High Court, in Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/6/2026, presided over by Justice Hassan Dikko, reportedly held that due process was not followed in conducting the May 19 primary.

The court set aside the purported primary and directed the APC to conduct a fresh election for all cleared aspirants within 14 days of the judgment delivered on August 31.

The court, also, directed the defendants, including APC, INEC and Ya’u, to uphold internal democracy and comply with the party’s constitution, guidelines and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

Shinkafi argued that INEC was served with a certified true copy of the judgment and should therefore comply with the orders.

He said: “Disobeying a court order in a matter to which the commission was a party and fully represented will erode public confidence in the electoral system.”

The aggrieved APC chieftain warned that publishing a candidate while the court order remained in force could weaken respect for the judiciary and the rule of law.

In a letter dated September 18, 2026, and addressed to the INEC Chairman, YAS Law Firm, counsel to Shinkafi, similarly demanded the withdrawal of Ya’u’s name.

The lawyers said the Federal High Court judgment established that no valid candidate emerged from the May 19 primary because of alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act and APC guidelines.

They further argued that the matter remained subject to the judicial process, urging INEC to stay the publication pending either the fresh primary ordered by the court or the final determination of any appeal.

The court, according to the lawyers, granted an order restraining the defendants, their agents and privies from further breaches of the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions.

The lawyers also cited the court’s order directing INEC to accept and publish the name of any candidate who validly emerges from the fresh primary.

Shinkafi further recalled previous cases in which the Supreme Court nullified party primaries and issued consequential orders affecting election outcomes.

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