A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and aspirant in the Zamfara North Senatorial District, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has rejected the conduct of the party’s November 2, 2026 rerun primary, alleging irregularities, intimidation of party members and improper involvement of serving military personnel.
Shinkafi, who was among the cleared aspirants for the primary, has petitioned the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), demanding an investigation into the alleged participation of military personnel in the exercise.
The petition, dated November 9 and acknowledged by the Defence Ministry on November 10, was submitted through his solicitor, Salihu Y. Aliyu of YAS Law Firm.
The rerun primary was conducted following an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court in Gusau, subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division, which nullified the previous APC senatorial primary held on May 28, 2026, and ordered a fresh exercise involving all cleared aspirants.
However, Shinkafi alleged that the November 2 exercise failed to meet the expectations of a credible and transparent rerun, claiming that the process was compromised by irregularities and the alleged interference of military personnel.
In the petition, he accused some serving military officers of abandoning their constitutional and professional responsibilities by allegedly involving themselves in the internal political affairs of the APC.
He further alleged that military personnel deployed armoured vehicles and gun trucks during the exercise, creating an atmosphere of intimidation and disrupting the participation of party members.
According to the petitioner, the alleged interference affected the conduct of the primary across Shinkafi, Zurmi, Kaura Namoda and Birnin Magaji Local Government Areas.
He also questioned the authenticity of the results declared from the exercise, alleging that 42 ward result sheets and the senatorial district result sheet were produced under questionable circumstances.
Shinkafi claimed that official voting materials were unavailable at some designated voting centres, raising concerns about how the results were subsequently compiled.
He further alleged that the process was characterised by irregularities involving the primary election committee and other political actors, calling for an independent examination of the disputed result sheets and the circumstances surrounding their preparation.
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A major concern raised in the petition was the alleged presence and participation of serving military personnel in the party’s internal electoral process, despite their absence from the police operation order outlining security arrangements for the rerun primary.
Shinkafi argued that the military’s involvement in partisan political activities, if established, would constitute a breach of professional military ethics, constitutional provisions and relevant sections of the Armed Forces Act.
He specifically cited Section 217 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as Sections 56, 91, 114 and 136 of the Armed Forces Act, among other provisions, in seeking an investigation into the alleged conduct.
The petitioner also requested that the Defence authorities examine video recordings, photographs, disputed result sheets and other materials submitted alongside the complaint.
Among his demands are an immediate investigation by the appropriate military authorities, the examination of the conduct of all personnel allegedly involved and appropriate disciplinary action against anyone found culpable.
He also called for the possible interdiction of the personnel under investigation, pending the outcome of the inquiry, and a court-martial where evidence establishes offences under military law.
Beyond the allegations against military personnel, Shinkafi maintained that the controversy surrounding the rerun primary raises fundamental questions about internal democracy, fairness and the right of all cleared aspirants to participate in a transparent electoral process.
He insisted that the outcome of the November 2 exercise should not be accepted without addressing the complaints raised by aggrieved aspirants and party members.
The APC chieftain said the party’s internal electoral processes must reflect the principles of fairness and accountability, particularly as the party prepares for future political contests.
He also argued that the integrity of the party’s primary elections should be protected in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s stated commitment to electoral accountability.
The petition reportedly included copies of the disputed ward and senatorial district result sheets, video and photographic materials, as well as the police operation order for the rerun primary.
