Governor Dauda Lawal Defects from PDP to APC

Dauda Lawal, the governor of Zamfara State, has officially left the Peoples Democratic Party to join the All Progressives Congress.

The announcement was made on Monday through a statement released by the governor’s media aide, Nuhu Anka. According to the statement, the move followed a series of consultations with political leaders, elders, and supporters across the state.

The statement explained that the decision came after careful deliberation and was taken in what was described as the best interest of stability, progress, and sustainable development in Zamfara.

Anka noted that the governor’s defection was largely influenced by ongoing internal issues within the PDP at both the national and state levels. These include prolonged disputes, leadership disagreements, and structural problems within the party, which he said have created distractions capable of affecting effective governance in the state.

He added that Governor Lawal remains focused on addressing the security challenges and developmental needs of the North-West state. According to him, aligning with a new political platform was considered necessary to promote unity, stability, and stronger collaboration with the Federal Government for the benefit of the people.

The statement also revealed that the final decision was reached after a high-level meeting held at the Government House in Gusau. The meeting involved senior government officials and major political stakeholders and was coordinated by the deputy governor.

Despite leaving the PDP, the governor expressed appreciation to party members for their support over the years, noting that prevailing political realities made the switch unavoidable.

By joining the APC, Lawal reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening unity in Zamfara, improving security, and accelerating development through closer cooperation with the Federal Government.

Governor Lawal is among those expected to contest for re-election in the 2027 general elections.

His defection came shortly after a ruling by the Court of Appeal, which upheld an earlier judgment restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the PDP national convention held in Ibadan.

Following this development, the number of governors under the APC across Nigeria has now risen to 31.