Three chieftains of the Zamfara chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have dragged their state chairman, Tukur Danfulani, before a State High Court in Gusau over their suspension, describing the action as ‘illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional’.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.
The aggrieved officials — APC Chairman of Shinkafi South Ward, Babangida Shinkafi; Welfare Secretary, Kabiru Ibrahim; and the representative of Persons with Disabilities in the council, Ibrahim Kurya — were suspended for attending a 11 November stakeholders’ meeting.
The meeting was organised by the Wamban Shinkafi Democratic Front, a political camp loyal to Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi. The party regarded the attendance as an anti-party activity, leading to their suspension.
The suspended trio, however, argued that their suspension was issued verbally by the Shinkafi Local Government Chairman, Ibrahim Bama, without any formal allegation of wrongdoing or opportunity to defend themselves.
‘It is unjust to punish fellow party members for attending a stakeholders’ meeting of the party duly convened for its progress. The purported suspension was issued by the Zamfara State APC Chairman, Tukur Danfulani.
‘We shall not be distracted by activities of detractors and reactionary forces that do not mean well for our great party.
‘It is in the interest of justice that all parties in the suit should stay action and await the determination of the matter by a court of competent jurisdiction’, the statement partly read.
In the suit filed on 14 November, they asked the court to declare them bona fide members of the APC and to void any attempt to suspend, expel, intimidate, or harass them.
They also sought a perpetual injunction restraining the state chairman or any party official from taking further action against them, as well as an order directing all parties to maintain the status quo pending determination of the case.
The officials maintained that they were duly elected in the 2022 party congresses and that their tenure remains valid.
Their suspension adds to the lingering crisis in the Zamfara APC, which has been plagued by factional battles since losing the 2019 and 2023 governorship elections. Stakeholders have repeatedly blamed the losses on the imposition of candidates and internal wrangling.
On 1 November, APC leaders in the state met in Talata Mafara under the leadership of former governor Abdul’aziz Yari, where they endorsed President Bola Tinubu as the party’s 2027 consensus presidential candidate and pledged to ensure credible primaries going forward.
A similar meeting held by the Wamban Shinkafi Democratic Front on 11 November also endorsed Tinubu and backed Yari as the party leader in the state — a move that reportedly triggered the latest round of suspensions.
