The Mahdi Aliyu Gusau Campaign Organisation has rejected the emergence of Bilyaminu Shinkafi as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 Zamfara State governorship election.
The organisation described the listing of Shinkafi’s name on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal as an alleged manipulation of the electoral process, insisting that Gusau remains the legitimate candidate produced by the party’s governorship primary.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the campaign organisation said it would challenge the development in court and seek the restoration of what it described as Gusau’s “stolen mandate.”
The organisation also challenged those presenting Shinkafi as the ADC candidate to provide evidence of his membership of the party, alleging that he neither participated in the ADC governorship primary nor obtained the party’s nomination form.
It further alleged that Shinkafi remains a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and participated in the party’s primary election process.
“Bilyaminu Shinkafi is a known member of the APC and has publicly participated in its primary election processes,” the statement said.
According to the organisation, Shinkafi’s alleged participation in the APC primary raises questions about his eligibility to seek the governorship ticket of another political party within the same election cycle.
The campaign organisation said it was prepared to present documentary evidence before the court to establish its claims regarding Shinkafi’s alleged APC membership and participation in the party’s primary.
It also claimed that Shinkafi never formally declared his intention to join the ADC and was neither presented to the party leadership nor delegates as a governorship aspirant.
The organisation maintained that Mahdi Aliyu Gusau remains the authentic ADC governorship candidate, having won the party’s primary election in Zamfara State with 35,665 votes.
It said the primary was monitored by INEC officials and conducted in the presence of security agencies, party officials and delegates from the state’s 14 local government areas.
The organisation therefore described any subsequent attempt to replace Gusau’s name on the INEC portal as a direct challenge to the outcome of the party’s primary election.
It said it would rely on the courts to determine the lawful candidate of the ADC and urged party members and supporters to remain calm and law-abiding while the legal process takes its course.
“We will not fold our arms and allow this injustice to stand,” the organisation said, adding that its legal team was prepared to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.
The campaign organisation expressed confidence that Gusau would ultimately contest the 2027 governorship election on the ADC platform.
It also called on the public and relevant authorities to scrutinise the circumstances surrounding the emergence of Shinkafi’s name and provide evidence of his eligibility to represent the ADC.
The organisation concluded that the final determination of the ADC’s lawful governorship candidate should be left to the courts, insisting that “the truth cannot be manipulated.”
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