The race for the 2027 general elections is already heating up, and as usual with Nigerian politics, the “wahala” has moved from the party offices to the courtroom.
A Federal High Court sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State, has pushed the hearing of a suit challenging the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Zamfara North to June 25, 2026.
Why are they in court?
Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, a prominent aspirant who is unhappy with the outcome of the primary, dragged the party to court. He is claiming that the process that produced Sahabi Ya’u Kaura as the candidate was filled with irregularities. Shinkafi isn’t just fighting the party; he has also joined the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Sahabi Ya’u Kaura in the lawsuit.
What happened in court?
When the case was called up on Tuesday, June 9, Justice Hassan Dikko could not proceed with the hearing. The reason? Both the APC and INEC (the defendants) were absent. To give everyone a fair hearing, the judge decided to adjourn the matter until later this month.
The “Imposition” Cries
This legal battle highlights a major problem in Nigerian democracy: the lack of “internal democracy.” Many APC members in Zamfara are complaining that there were no real primaries or consensus meetings. Instead, they allege that powerful “Godfathers” and party leaders simply handpicked their favorite candidates and imposed them on the people.
Some party members have even warned that if the APC doesn’t fix these injustices, they will lose votes in 2027. Already, there are reports of bigwigs and sitting senators leaving the APC for opposition parties because they felt cheated during the primaries.
APC Warns Against “Fake Lists”
While this court case is going on, a “fake list” of 2027 candidates has been circulating on social media. The APC national leadership has told members to ignore it, insisting they haven’t released the final names yet. However, members are asking: “If the primaries are over, why is it taking so long to announce the winners?”
As the June 25 court date approaches, all eyes will be on Gusau to see if the court will cancel the primary or uphold the current candidate.
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