Shinkafi Denies Yari's Connection to Suspended Zamfara Lawmakers

Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), issued a statement on October 10, 2026, denying claims that Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari was allied with eight suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly who recently resigned from the APC. Shinkafi emphasized that Yari, the senator representing Zamfara West and a former governor, had made efforts to mediate the dispute leading to the lawmakers' suspension on February 26, 2024.

The suspension was due to allegations of gross misconduct, conspiracy, mischief, contempt of the House, and convening an illegal sitting. Despite Yari's attempts to broker peace, the assembly leadership refused to lift the suspension and initiated criminal proceedings against the legislators.

The suspended lawmakers, who have not received salaries or allowances, petitioned the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions for intervention. Shinkafi noted that five of the eight lawmakers were initially elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before defecting to the APC, further indicating they were not politically aligned with Yari.