A prominent leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State has sounded an alarm, claiming that the party's ongoing electronic membership registration exercise in the state is riddled with deliberate irregularities designed to sideline his political faction.
Allegations of Exclusion and Constitutional Breach
In a strongly-worded letter dated 19 January 2026 and addressed to the APC National Chairman, Hon. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi lamented that the process violates the party's constitution. The letter, made public in Gusau, asserts that while the e-registration has commenced across all 14 Local Government Areas of Zamfara, it is being conducted contrary to Article 9(1) of the APC constitution.
Shinkafi stated that the digital exercise was designed to ensure transparency and eliminate ghost members, but has been hijacked. "The Zamfara state chapter of APC directed the Local Government chairmen and ward chairmen to exclude all APC members who are loyal to me, and members of my political movement, the 'Wamban Shinkafi Democratic Front'," he alleged.
A Factional Power Play?
The chieftain pointed an accusing finger at a powerful figure within the party. He claimed that, based on reports from his coordinators in the state's 147 electoral wards, the Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Bello Matawalle, allegedly masterminded the exclusion of his supporters from the registration.
"This situation has raised grievous fears that the reform exercise the party introduced has been compromised," Shinkafi wrote. He warned that the action is causing dangerous factions and disunity among APC members in Zamfara, threatening the party's cohesion.
Call for Urgent National Intervention
To remedy the situation, Shinkafi has called on the APC national leadership to act swiftly. He demanded the constitution of an independent and transparent investigation panel to probe the allegations of impunity. He further urged that anyone found culpable be sanctioned according to the party's disciplinary measures.
"If it is not checked at the earliest possible time, it will derail the aims and objectives of this technological innovation," he cautioned. The chieftain emphasized the need for fairness, urging the national body to ensure the registration is impartial, irrespective of members' loyalty to any "political bigwigs and moneybags" in the state.
Shinkafi concluded with a stark historical warning, urging the party to act "to avoid a repeat of the bad history of 2019 and 2023, respectively, where the party lost elections to the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)."
