By: John Bassey, Gusau.

The Senatorial aspirant for Zamfara North Senatorial District, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has opposed the consensus arrangement of the state, accusing the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawale for leading the state leadership astray and calling on the national leadership of APC to intervene as he prepared to take legal action against what he described as political banditry.

The aspirant stated this at his residence while addressing Journalists on the danger of imposing an unworthy candidate on the people in the Samaru area of Gusau, the state capital.

He said he foresaw danger that would threaten the peaceful conduct of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress must rise and ensure the sustenance of peace.

Expressing shock over the consensus arrangement, the Aspirant explained, the greatest surprise of most aspirants for for senatorial primaries in Zamfara State was that, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle arrived the state today with a private jet along with past and serving governors of Zamfara State claiming that Mr President had ordered that all aspirants for senate should withdraw for all serving senators for party primaries scheduled to hold on Tuesday, 19th May 2026.

There was no meeting or consultation for this arbitrary order, which contradicted earlier statements made by the President and National Chairman of our great party. This undemocratic order does not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

In 2019, APC contested all elective positions in Zamfara State. Because of the inability of the party to amicably resolve its internal crisis caused by the imposition of candidates, aggrieved aspirants who were screened and cleared to contest the APC primaries instituted a suit at the Zamfara State High Court, challenging the conduct of the party primaries, which violated the Electoral Act and the APC guidelines for the exercise. The party fielded these imposed candidates for the 2019 general election, ignoring wise counsel to reconsider its arbitrary and self-seeking decision.

I want to state categorically, without any apology, that the current economic hardship and insecurity in Zamfara State crept in via the undemocratic attitude of Bello Matawalle and his co-travelers.

I foresee danger in the forthcoming general election. This can be averted by adhering strictly to the 1999 Constitution as amended, the Electoral Act 2026, and the APC constitution. Nigeria is governed by the rule of law and not the rule of might.

Governor Dauda Lawal will be the major loser in this conspiracy to exclude already cleared aspirants from participating in the Senate primaries in Zamfara State, as the chance of the APC winning the elections in the state is minimal.

The actions of these self-imposed godfathers in Zamfara State are a political suicide.

In many parts of the country where APC governs, the provisions of the law and internal democracy were not truncated as obtainable in Zamfara State.

The current imposition of candidates by the APC is political banditry and proves to the nation that Bello Matawalle is a political bandit, being the arrowhead of this assault on our democracy.

Accordingly, I have ordered all my supporters in the Zamfara North Senatorial District not to participate in this undemocratic affirmation of anointed senatorial aspirants of Matawalle.

It is common knowledge in Zamfara State that political thugs and hoodlums have been mobilised to disrupt the senatorial primaries in the state to pave the way for the illegal consensus aspirants to be affirmed.

As a democrat and law-abiding citizen, I will not participate in any electoral process that is not in compliance with the provisions of the law. All my supporters should remain calm and stay at home.

I was never consulted or invited for any meeting on the so-called consensus arrangements. I did not withdraw from the senatorial race, did not write any letter stating that I have stepped down, and did not make any private or public statements that I have withdrawn from the primary.

This injustice shall not stand. I will challenge my exclusion from the Zamfara North Senatorial Primary in Court.