Court Nullifies APC Primary for Zamfara North Senatorial Seat

The Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto nullified the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Zamfara North Senatorial District, citing gross non-compliance with party guidelines and the Electoral Act. The judgment, delivered by Justice Tunde Oyebamiji Awotoye, upheld a previous decision from the Federal High Court in Gusau that voided the primary election in August 2026.

Justice Awotoye criticized the APC for declaring Senator Sahabi Ya’u (Zamfara North) as the winner despite evident violations of its constitution and the Electoral Act. The court noted that Hon. Abdullahi Shinkafi demonstrated that a district with 26,000 registered party members could not yield 70,000 votes for a single aspirant, indicating clear over-voting and irregularities.

The court dismissed the appellant's claims regarding jurisdiction and statute bar, affirming that the respondent had exhausted all internal dispute mechanisms. Counsel Bello Galadi called the ruling a victory for democracy, while Hon. Shinkafi viewed it as liberation from political dominance.