Zamfara APC: Why 8 Suspended Lawmakers Staged A Return

It was not a reunion driven by loyalty. It was a return dictated by survival, entitlements and the shifting power equation in Zamfara ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The eight suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly who resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) two weeks ago citing insecurity and prolonged suspension without pay, have returned to the centre of national politics.

They were led to the Presidential Villa on Monday by the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, to meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The affected lawmakers are Aliyu Ango Kagara (Talata Mafara South), Ibrahim Tukur Bakura (Bakura), Faruk Musa Dosara (Maradun I), Bashir Abubakar Masama (Bukkuyum North), Muktaru Nasiru Kaura (Kaura North), Nasiru Abdullahi (Maru North), Bashar Bello (Bungudu West) and Bashar Aliyu (Gummi I).

A statement by Matawalle’s media aide, Ahmad Dan-Wudil, said the lawmakers reaffirmed their loyalty to the APC and to President Tinubu and pledged to be integrated into the Tinubu Again Movement (TAM).

Why They Left

The lawmakers were first suspended on February 26, 2024, by Speaker Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki over allegations of gross misconduct, conspiracy, contempt of the House, illegal sitting and forceful entry into offices of the Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms. Their suspension was extended on May 13, 2026.

The Assembly leadership also instituted criminal proceedings against them, leading to issuance of arrest warrants.

Five of the lawmakers were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections before defecting to the APC alongside Matawalle in 2021, while three were elected on the APC platform. Their suspension stripped them of salaries, allowances and other entitlements for over 30 months.

They also accused Governor Dauda Lawal of ignoring their motion on worsening insecurity in constituencies that have remained hotspots of banditry including Maru, Anka, Bukkuyum, Maradun and Gummi.

Their resignation from APC earlier this month followed Governor Lawal’s defection from PDP to APC in March, a move that altered the balance of power in the Zamfara APC, already divided among Matawalle, former Governor Abdulaziz Yari and now Lawal.

APC chieftain, Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, had dismissed claims that the eight were allies of Senator Yari, describing such reports as sponsored and mischievous.

Why The U-Turn

Presidential Intervention:

Sources close to the Villa meeting said President Tinubu opted for reconciliation, urging amicable resolution of the Assembly crisis. The photo-op at the Villa instantly reframed them from rebels to stakeholders.

Entitlements And Mobility:

Immediately after the meeting, Matawalle gifted each of the eight lawmakers a vehicle. For lawmakers without legislative income since 2024 and who had fled the state, the gift and the promise to push for payment of entitlements was decisive.

No Viable Alternative:

The lawmakers were widely tipped to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Nasiru Abdullahi of Maru North was reportedly screened under ADC. But ADC lacks the federal leverage to negotiate lifting of suspension and recall. The APC remains the only platform with that capacity.

2027 Calculation:

For Matawalle, integrating eight lawmakers controlling eight constituencies into TAM strengthens his structure against Governor Lawal in a party he once led. For the lawmakers, staying outside the ruling party at both state and federal levels amounts to political exile.

The Denial

Despite Matawalle’s announcement, the lawmakers have denied returning to the APC.

Speaking exclusively to LEADERSHIP, their spokesman, Ibrahim Tukur Bakura, said reports of their return were false.

“Neither have we decamped to APC nor promised to return to APC. What took us to the Villa was to discuss the problem of why we were suspended, our pending entitlements and how to resolve it,” Bakura said.

“If we decide to return to the APC officially, I will personally call Leadership and other important media houses and brief them.”

The denial, observers say, is tactical — to first secure commitment on payment of entitlements and recall before a formal declaration, in order to avoid the perception of being bought over with vehicles.

For now, Zamfara’s suspended eight remain out of the Assembly but back in the power loop — awaiting whether presidential intervention will translate to legislative reinstatement.