Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State, has officially declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election on the party’s platform.

Shinkafi, a former National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), made the announcement while addressing supporters in Gusau, the state capital. He emphasized that the era of imposed candidates in the APC was over and that all party members have equal rights to seek elective positions.

“I am a qualified member of the APC and I have the right to contest the primary election for any position in the party,” he stated.

Shinkafi highlighted what he described as the marginalization of certain zones in Zamfara politics, noting that the Zamfara West Senatorial Zone has dominated state leadership since 1999.

“Former Governor Ahmed Sani Yarima governed for eight years and later spent 12 years in the Senate. Abdulaziz Yari also ruled for eight years, while Bello Matawalle governed for four years. All are from Zamfara West,” he said.
“Zamfara North, which produced Mahmuda Aliyu Shinkafi for only four years, deserves a chance in 2027.”

Meanwhile, another APC leader, Aminu Muhammad Kaura, has expressed support for Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, as the preferred governorship candidate for 2027. Kaura described Matawalle as a unifying figure within the party, with many stakeholders already rallying behind him ahead of the general election.