Umaru Shinkafi (19 January 1937 – 6 July 2016) was a Nigerian intelligence chief, and Federal Commissioner of Internal Affairs.
[2] During the Nigerian third republic, Shinkafi was one of the promoters of the Nigerian National Congress (NNC) a political association formed in 1989 after the disbanding of political groups by the Babangida administration, the NNC later joined the National Republican Convention.
Early on, Shinkafi emerged as a leading presidential candidate during the period Babangida banned old breed politicians, he created a choice 92 campaign group for his presidential ambition which intended to have a canvasser in every ward of the federation.
But after the unbanning of old breed politicians, he had to face tough competition in Adamu Ciroma, who had earlier supported his ambition.
During the next primaries, Shinkafi supported the eventual NRC presidential candidate, Bashir Tofa and the party chairmanship aspirant, Hamed Kusamotu.