In the face of mounting political pressure, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has firmly declared his allegiance to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), distancing himself from growing rumours about a possible defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The speculation arose after the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, publicly encouraged Lawal to switch political camps and join the ruling APC. Matawalle, who previously served as governor of Zamfara and lost his re-election bid to Lawal in 2023, appealed to a Sallah gathering at his residence in Maradun, Zamfara State.
During the event, the minister accused Lawal of political indecisiveness, urging him to “stop playing hide-and-seek” and align openly with the APC for the sake of progress and stability in the state. Matawalle expressed confidence that the governor would be welcomed into the APC fold without animosity, stressing that collaboration was necessary to drive development in Zamfara.
However, Governor Lawal has pushed back on the claims. Through his media aide, Mustafa Kaura, he reiterated his commitment to the PDP, the party under which he was elected, and dismissed any suggestion of switching sides as baseless political gossip.
“There’s no truth whatsoever to the rumour that Governor Dauda Lawal intends to leave the PDP,” Kaura told a national daily in a phone interview. “He remains loyal to the platform that brought him into office and is focused on delivering on his mandate.”
Lawal, known for his grassroots popularity and reform-focused agenda, reportedly spent the Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Zamfara and Abuja with supporters, family, and political allies, further signalling his detachment from any realignment speculation.
In contrast, Matawalle used the festive occasion to position the APC as the party of progress, praising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a unifying force for national development. He called on APC supporters to rally behind the president’s economic and security agenda, highlighting recent military operations that had successfully eliminated several terrorist cells in Zamfara and beyond.
Matawalle also criticised the current administration’s use of federal allocations, urging Lawal to translate resources into tangible infrastructure and public service delivery across Zamfara’s rural and urban communities.
