2027: All APC aspirants in Zamfara must face popularity test- Shinkafi

2027: All APC aspirants in Zamfara must face popularity test- Shinkafi

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, Dr Sani Shinkafi, says all aspirants for elective positions in the 2027 general election must submit themselves to a popularity test through credible and valid primaries, irrespective of their standing within the state chapter of the party.

Shinkafi, a former governorship candidate and the Executive Director of Patriots for the Advancement of Peace and Social Development, stated this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

He said that the test was necessary to avert the electoral mistake of 2019 and 2023 that led to the party’s defeat in its traditional stronghold.

The chieftain aligned his position with the resolutions adopted at a crucial APC stakeholders meeting on Nov. 1, chaired by former Governor of Zamfara State, Sen. Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, at his country home in Talata Mafara.

The stakeholders included party elders, senators, House of Representatives members, State House of Assembly members, and various party executives.

They unanimously resolved that there shall be no imposition of candidates for the 2027 general election.

They mandated that the party should not adopt an unpopular candidate for any election, urging all intending aspirants to actively galvanise support from party members and the wider electorate.

Shinkafi reemphasised the stakeholders’ resolution that the party must conduct valid primaries in strict adherence to the Electoral Act 2022, INEC guidelines, and the APC electoral guidelines.

He cited Section 84(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates that “A political party seeking to nominate candidate for elections under this Act shall hold primaries for aspirants to all elective positions which shall be monitored by the commission.”

He further clarified that the consensus option, as provided in Section 84(9-10), will only be applicable if all cleared aspirants voluntarily withdraw in writing and endorse the consensus candidate.

“Should the written consent of all cleared aspirants not be secured, the party must revert to either direct or indirect primaries.

“The party must adhere strictly to its internal democracy, due process, rule of law and tenets of democracy as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Electoral Act 2022 and INEC guidelines,” Shinkafi stated.

Shinkafi recalled that the party’s failure to conduct valid primaries due to internal wranglings led to the Supreme Court voiding and nullifying the elections of all APC candidates on May 24, 2019, just five days before the inauguration of elected officers.

“This judgment benefited the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with its governorship candidate, Bello Matawalle, declared the winner,” he said.

He also recalled that ahead of the 2023 polls, the party’s adoption of a consensus option, which led to the selection of “unpopular and unacceptable candidates,” was highlighted as the cause for the severe electoral setback.

Despite the Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, winning the state, the incumbent Governor Bello Matawalle (APC) was roundly defeated in the gubernatorial polls, winning only Birnin Magaji Local Government.

In the 2023 polls, the APC won two Senatorial seats and four House of Representatives seats, while the PDP secured one Senatorial seat and three House of Representatives seats. The party also suffered significant losses at the State House of Assembly level, including losing all eight seats in Zamfara Central.

The stakeholders meeting also made a major political statement by unanimously adopting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a consensus candidate to run on the APC platform for the 2027 presidential election.

Shinkafi, who is also the Leader of the Wamban Shinkafi Democratic Front, fully adopted all the resolutions of the stakeholders, urging party faithful to embrace peace and unity.(NAN))