A federal High Court sitting in Gusau has nullified the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election which held on May 19, 2026, for the election of a candidate for Zamfara North Senatorial District.
The Zamfara North APC Primary was contested by four strong aspirants: Senator Sahabi Ya’u Kaura, Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi and Hamafi Moriki. Kaura was declared winner of the May Primary.
Justice Hassan Dikko who delivered the judgement virtually said, looking at the evidences presented before the court, it is sufficient to invalidate the party primary. He then ordered for a fresh exercise and ordered the APC to conduct a fresh exercise within 14 days to determine the candidate of the party
He said, ‘The court set aside the primary after finding that the exercise was not conducted in accordance with the APC constitution and guidelines. .
Counsel to Dr Shinkafi who challenged the outcome of the primary, Barrister Bello Galadi, while speaking with newsmen after the judgment, said the court established that there was neither voting nor a valid primary election.
‘There was no valid primary election. There was no voting. There was no compliance with the APC guidelines. There was no compliance with the APC constitution,’ Galadi said.
The ruling is expected to reopen the party’s nomination process for the senatorial contest and provide an opportunity for eligible aspirants to participate in a fresh exercise conducted in accordance with the party’s rules.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to Kaura, Barrister Salahuddeen, said the order for a fresh primary has provided the APC with an opportunity to resolve the dispute through another election.
He, however, said the party would have to consider its legal options, including complying with the judgment or challenging it on appeal.
‘We will advise our client and proceed to petition or appeal against the judgment, or approach another leg directly to My Lord, which is having another primary to be conducted,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Shinkafi, whose legal challenge to the purported primary resulted in the judgment, has urged party members to return to their wards, polling units and local government areas ahead of the fresh exercise.
Shinkafi called on members and supporters to remain committed to the democratic process and intensify mobilisation across the state.
He said the development had demonstrated the importance of adherence to the constitutions and guidelines of political parties in the conduct of internal elections.
The court-ordered fresh primary is now expected to determine the APC’s candidate for the Zamfara North Senatorial District, subject to any further legal challenge or appeal arising from the judgment.