TENSIONS IN KADUNA APC: Stakeholders Issue 24-Hour Ultimatum To Gov. Uba Sani As Shettima Withdraws From Contest

 

"We formally lodge a protest regarding the recent process used to select candidates, which breached the APC Constitution and the official guidelines for candidate nominations." Senator Danjuma La'ah on behalf of stakeholders from Kaduna South Senatorial Zone and other aspirants in the House of Representatives primaries

"After wide consultations and deep reflection, I have decided to respect the decision of our great party regarding the senatorial contest." Shettima.

A fresh wave of tension has gripped the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State following the withdrawal of a frontline Kaduna Central senatorial aspirant, Yerima Shettima, amid mounting protests against an alleged consensus arrangement ahead of the party’s primaries.

Shettima, a former aspirant under the APC, formally stepped down from the race on Sunday, citing “wide consultations and deep reflection” as reasons for his decision. He said his withdrawal was in deference to the party’s position on the Kaduna Central senatorial contest.

“After wide consultations and deep reflection, I have decided to respect the decision of our great party regarding the senatorial contest,” he stated at a press conference.

He emphasised that his exit should not be misconstrued as an act of weakness but rather as a commitment to party unity and discipline. “This decision is not borne out of fear, weakness, or cowardice, but from my unwavering commitment to party unity, discipline, and collective progress,” he added.

Despite stepping down, Shettima reaffirmed his loyalty to the APC and pledged support for all candidates that would emerge under the party’s platform in the forthcoming elections. He also urged his supporters to remain peaceful and rally behind the party.

“The unity and success of the APC must remain our collective priority,” he said, while calling for reconciliation among aggrieved members to ensure cohesion within the party.

He further expressed appreciation to members of his political structure, including the Capacity Movement led by Sani Shehu Sado, and reiterated his support for Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani.

“I hereby formally announce my withdrawal from the Kaduna Central Senatorial race in good spirit and align accordingly with party decisions,” he declared.

However, Shettima’s withdrawal comes against the backdrop of a deepening crisis within the Kaduna APC, as stakeholders from Kaduna South Senatorial Zone and other aspirants in the House of Representatives primaries have openly rejected the alleged consensus arrangement.

At a separate press conference, aggrieved stakeholders, led by Senator Danjuma La’ah, issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the state government to reverse the arrangement or risk plunging the party into crisis.

La’ah, speaking on behalf of the group, accused party leaders of violating the APC constitution and established guidelines for candidate selection.

“We… formally lodge a protest regarding the recent process used to select candidates, which breached the APC Constitution and the official guidelines for candidate nominations,” he said.

The stakeholders also called on Governor Sani to distance himself from what they described as an “undemocratic” process, warning that failure to do so could undermine party unity and electoral prospects in the state.

The unfolding developments signal a potential showdown within the Kaduna APC, raising concerns over internal cohesion as the party prepares for its primaries and the broader electoral contest.