A coalition of aggrieved aspirants of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State has formally rejected the conduct of the party’s primary elections for the National Assembly, alleging widespread violations of the party constitution and nomination guidelines.
Operating under the banner of the APC Coalition of Kaduna Senatorial/House of Representatives Frontline Aspirants (CKFA), the group accused party leaders in the state of imposing consensus candidates without the consent of aspirants and denying party members the opportunity to participate in transparent democratic primaries.
The coalition, in a protest letter dated May 17, 2026 and addressed to the National Chairman of the APC in Abuja, described the entire exercise as a “sham” and demanded its immediate cancellation.
The protest was jointly signed by several aspirants including former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Zailani; former Senator Danjuma Laah; activist Yerima Usman Shettima; Hon. Yusuf Bala Ikara; Michael Ayuba Auta; Mohammed Mu’azu Makaddas and others.
Reading the text of the protest on behalf of the coalition, Senator Danjuma Laah alleged that the process adopted during the primaries contravened Article 20 of the APC Constitution, which stipulates that consensus candidacy can only be valid if all cleared aspirants willingly sign a written agreement endorsing the arrangement.
According to the coalition, several aspirants across the three senatorial zones declined to endorse the consensus option, thereby rendering the process invalid.
The aspirants listed several alleged irregularities, including forced consensus arrangements, failure to conduct proper primary elections, disenfranchisement of party members and undue interference by top government officials in the state.
They further alleged that members of committees constituted to oversee the exercise openly claimed they were acting on the directives of the Governor of Kaduna State.
The coalition also accused the Kaduna State chapter of the APC of remaining silent while what they described as widespread imposition of candidates took place during the House of Representatives primary elections conducted on May 16, 2026.
The protest noted that the crisis was particularly intense in Kaduna Central Senatorial District, where the consensus committee headed by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, allegedly attempted to impose former Senator Shehu Sani as the sole consensus candidate.
The coalition stated that frontline aspirants, including Rt. Hon. Yusuf Zailani and Yerima Usman Shettima, rejected the arrangement and demanded transparent primary elections.
It added that similar grievances were recorded in Kaduna North and Kaduna South Senatorial Districts, where aspirants also complained of imposition and lack of democratic choice.
The aggrieved aspirants warned that failure to address the situation could threaten party unity in Kaduna State and expose the APC to possible legal battles capable of jeopardizing its chances in the general elections.
The coalition consequently gave the national leadership of the party a 48-hour ultimatum to intervene by nullifying the consensus declarations and the House of Representatives primaries conducted in the state.
They also demanded the conduct of fresh direct primary elections for all senatorial districts and House of Representatives constituencies in Kaduna State in line with APC guidelines.
The coalition further called on the party leadership to guarantee a transparent, free and fair process that would protect the rights of all cleared aspirants and restore confidence among party members.
They expressed hope that the national leadership of the APC would act swiftly to preserve the integrity and unity of the party ahead of the forthcoming general elections.