The aspirant for the Zamfara North Senatorial seat, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has accused the leadership of the APC in the state of excluding cleared aspirants in favour of 'anointed' candidates ahead of today's senatorial primary election of the party.

Shinkafi in a press release described the process as "imposition of candidates and political banditry."

He alleged that the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, arrived in the state with a private jet alongside past and present governors to enforce the directive.

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According to him, Matawalle and the governors informed aspirants that President Bola Tinubu had ordered all senatorial aspirants to withdraw for serving senators ahead of the primaries scheduled for 19 May 2026.

Shinkafi said no meeting or consultation was held before the directive was communicated.

"This undemocratic order, if actually made by Mr President, does not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026," he said.

The aspirant cited Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2026, which mandates political parties to conduct primaries for all elective positions through direct primaries or consensus, with the process monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Shinkafi stated that he was never consulted, did not withdraw from the race, and did not submit any letter stepping down.

He urged his supporters in Zamfara North to boycott the 'affirmation exercise', alleging that political thugs had been mobilised to disrupt the primaries.

He vowed to challenge his exclusion in court.

"I will challenge my unlawful exclusion from Zamfara North Senatorial Primary in Court," he said.

Shinkafi warned that the development could repeat the 2019 scenario in Zamfara, when the Supreme Court nullified APC primaries over internal disputes and awarded victories to the party that came second in the general election.