…Says ‘Don’t Allow Supporters Deceive You’
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Kaduna Central senatorial district in the 2027 National Assembly elections, Senator Shehu Sani has advised candidates affected by the recent Supreme Court ruling on key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 to honourably quit the 2027 election race.
The former senator, who represented Kaduna Central stated gave this advice in an X post on Wednesday.
Recall that on September 24, a Justice Adamu Jauro-led seven-member panel of the apex court restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act after setting aside the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier declared the provisions unconstitutional and null and void.
The apex court in its ruling consequently restored the judgement of the Federal High Court, which had dismissed a suit filed by the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, challenging the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Although, the apex court did not specifically disqualify any candidate, however, its restoration of the disputed provisions means that some candidates could lose their slots amid questions over party membership, the timing of defections, membership registers submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, or the manner in which such candidates emerged from their parties’ nomination processes.
In his X post, Sani noted that the affected candidates still campaigning despite the apex court’s ruling are “heading to nowhere.”
He, therefore, urged them not to be deceived by the encouragement from their supporters, as such encouragement would hit stand in the face of the law.
He said, “If you are one of those candidates affected by the September Supreme Court ruling, you shouldn’t waste your time and resources.
“Your supporters will continue to beat the drums for you to stay in the race, but you are heading nowhere. We have the experience of losing and winning elections, not as analysts or commentators, but as active, frontline participants; so we know both sides very well.”
