SUNTV Global Channel | News Report | May 18, 2026
The All Progressives Congress (APC) ward primary election held in Badiko and Kurmin Mashi Ward of Kaduna South Local Government Area has ended with former Senator emerging victorious over Hon. Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani in a contest that recorded a high voter turnout and was conducted peacefully.
According to ward officials, the exercise was orderly from start to finish, with voters trooping out in large numbers to participate in the internal party election. Security personnel and party agents were present throughout the process to ensure compliance with electoral guidelines.
The ward councillor, who supervised the exercise, confirmed that the election was conducted without incident, adding that sorting and counting were done transparently. He stated that Shehu Sani secured a clear majority of votes in the contest, describing the process as peaceful and credible at the ward level.
“As the councillor of this ward, we conducted the APC primary election between Sen. Shehu Sani and Hon. Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani. The process was peaceful, people came out in large numbers, voted, and everything ended smoothly,” he said.
He further expressed appreciation to voters for their orderly conduct and prayed for sustained peace in and across the country.
However, tensions have emerged within the party following the exercise, as a coalition of aggrieved APC aspirants under the banner of the APC Coalition of Kaduna Senatorial and House of Representatives Frontline Aspirants (CKFA) rejected the broader conduct of the National Assembly primaries in the state.
The group issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the national leadership of the , demanding the cancellation of the primaries over alleged imposition of candidates and violations of party guidelines.
In a protest letter dated May 17, 2026, and addressed to the APC National Chairman in Abuja, the coalition described the primaries as a “sham,” insisting that the process undermined internal democracy within the party.
Speaking on behalf of the group, former Kaduna State House of Assembly Speaker Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani and other stakeholders alleged that the consensus arrangement violated Article 20 of the APC Constitution, which they argued requires voluntary agreement from all aspirants.
The coalition further alleged that some candidates were imposed without broad consultation, claiming that certain electoral committees operated under instructions from senior government officials.
They also raised concerns over alleged exclusion of some aspirants and interference in the process, particularly in Kaduna Central Senatorial District, where they accused a consensus committee led by Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Balarabe of attempting to impose candidates—an allegation the committee has yet to officially respond to.
As the situation develops, party stakeholders are calling for urgent intervention to prevent a deeper internal crisis within the APC in Kaduna State.
