Yari Can’t Stop Me, Shinkafi Vows, Demands Fresh Zamfara North Primary

……says Appeal Court Nullified Previous Primary, Warns Against Manipulation

Former governorship candidate and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, has vowed not to withdraw from the Zamfara North senatorial race, declaring that no politician, no matter how highly placed, can force him out.

Shinkafi, who spoke with journalists at his Gusau residence on Sunday, specifically mentioned former governor of the state and Senator representing Zamfara West, Senator Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, saying all stakeholders must allow a fresh primary election for Zamfara North in compliance with the judgement of the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto.

According to him, the appellate court had nullified the previous primary election for the district and ordered a fresh one, a directive he said must be respected in the interest of justice, fairness and party stability.

“No big politician, especially Senator Abdulaziz Yari or anyone else in APC, can make me withdraw my senatorial aspiration in Zamfara North,” he said.

Shinkafi stressed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the national leadership of the APC must ensure the conduct of a credible, free, fair and transparent primary, adding that only a transparent process can guarantee peace in Zamfara North.

He warned that any attempt to manipulate the process would have consequences at the polls.

“If we discover that there is an attempt to sabotage us in the primary election for the senatorial seat in Zamfara North as ordered by the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto, we will also take action at the ballot boxes in the forthcoming elections, no matter who is involved,” he warned.

He noted that the Zamfara North senatorial seat has remained a subject of intense political contention within the APC, with various camps battling for control of the party structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Shinkafi, however, reaffirmed his loyalty to the APC, but insisted that internal democracy and respect for court judgements must be upheld for the party to remain united and formidable.