The House of Representatives primary election of the All Progressives Congress in Zamfara State failed to hold on Monday following unresolved disagreements over a proposed consensus arrangement.

Party stakeholders reportedly convened a meeting at the Government House, Gusau, where aspirants were invited to consider adopting a consensus candidate to avoid internal division.

Sources said the meeting involved Governor Dauda Lawal and former governors, with the exception of Senator Abdulaziz Yari, as efforts were made to persuade aspirants to step down in favour of a consensus arrangement.

A member of the primary election committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the meeting as tense, noting that heated arguments broke out as some aspirants rejected the consensus proposal.

According to him, while some aspirants eventually stepped down, others insisted on proceeding with a direct primary election.

He added that the party had preferred a consensus option to prevent further confusion and internal conflict, in line with guidance reportedly from the party’s national secretariat.

However, several aspirants maintained that only a competitive primary election would guarantee fairness and unity within the party.

One of the aspirants, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, said he would not withdraw from the race, insisting on a full primary election.

“I am not going to step down for any aspirant because I prefer primary elections,” he said.

He further urged the party leadership and election committee to ensure a transparent process, stressing that a primary election would prevent accusations of bias and promote fairness among contestants.