Seven serving members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have resigned their APC membership, adding to a wave of defections that is visibly fracturing the ruling party in one of its traditional strongholds ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The seven lawmakers, who include an ally of former Governor Abdul’aziz Yari, announced their withdrawal on Sunday, citing insecurity, alleged injustice, and the party’s failure to address the challenges confronting the state. The announcement follows a separate mass defection on Friday in which scores of APC members, led by Hajiya Hadiza Liman, crossed to the Nigeria Democratic Congress under the banner of the Voters Association of Zamfara State, drawing from 147 political wards across the state’s 14 local government areas.
The departing lawmakers’ grievances run deeper than political rhetoric. All seven were on suspension before they left, having been sanctioned approximately a year ago after attempting to impeach the Speaker of the State House of Assembly. Sources say the issues that triggered that suspension were never resolved and effectively blocked most of them from securing APC return tickets ahead of 2027. Only one of the seven succeeded in obtaining the party’s backing for re-election.
The lawmakers who resigned are Aliyu Ango Kagara representing Talata Mafara South, Ibrahim Tukur Bakura representing Bakura, Faruk Musa Dosara representing Maradun I, Barrister Bashir Abubakar Masama representing Bukkuyum North, Muktaru Nasiru Kaura representing Kaura North, Nasiru Abdullahi representing Maru North, Bashar Bello representing Bungudu West, and Bashar Aliyu representing Gummi I. Their next political destination has not been disclosed.
Gov Lawal Accused of Betrayal
Meanwhile, the Friday defections carried their own pointed accusations. Liman publicly accused Governor Dauda Lawal of political betrayal. Further alleging that after members of her association supported his emergence and his movement into the APC, they were sidelined in favour of people brought in from Niger, Kaduna, and other states.
She also alleged that a digital Islamic library at the state government house had been converted into an office for the governor’s wife, with religious scriptures relocated to a kitchen.
The APC’s national leadership has not publicly responded to events in Zamfara at the time of publication.
