How Tinubu, Matawalle Returned 8 Aggrieved Zamfara Lawmakers To APC

In a major political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections, eight aggrieved members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly who recently announced their resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) have backtracked on their decision and officially reunited with the ruling party.

The U-turn followed  mediation led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, it was gathered.

Confirming their return, the leader of the group, Aliyu Ango Kagara, revealed in a telephone interview that the lawmakers agreed to withdraw their resignations after a direct meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

According to Kagara, the lawmakers accepted the President’s personal invitation and agreed to return based on concrete assurances that their grievances—chief among them the worsening security situation in Zamfara State—would be decisively addressed.

“We agreed to return to the APC with conditions,” Kagara stated. “The President called and invited us, and we honoured his invitation. We accepted the promises he made and have confidence that he will fulfil them.”

Highlighting security as their primary concern, Kagara criticized the Governor Dauda Lawal-led administration for  what he called inadequate attention to the state’s security challenges.

“We told the President that we need the government to improve security, and he assured us—swearing by Almighty Allah—that we would see changes and improvement,” Kagara added. “Now, we have agreed to reunite and return to our party, the All Progressives Congress, and we have withdrawn the resignations we made earlier.”

Reacting to the development, the MPSC commended Minister Matawalle for facilitating the dialogue and steering the lawmakers back into the APC fold.

In a statement issued in Gusau, the Publicity Secretary of MPSC, Yusuf Idris Gusau, described the successful reconciliation as proof of Matawalle’s deep-rooted political experience and mobilization skills ahead of 2027.

“No party can accept to lose eight of its serving members of the State Assembly to the opposition at this time that all parties are preparing to partake in the forthcoming 2027 general election,” the statement read.

The committee noted that the group’s return vastly improves the party’s prospects of reclaiming elective positions in Zamfara—including the governorship, National Assembly, and State Assembly seats—while giving a significant boost to President Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Despite their return to the ruling party, the dispute surrounding the lawmakers’ legal status in the Zamfara State House of Assembly remains unresolved.

When asked if they would immediately resume legislative duties, Kagara clarified that their formal return to the assembly floor depends on the resolution of pending issues currently before President Tinubu.

“We are still waiting for President Tinubu to address these issues. Our return to the State House of Assembly is part of what we are waiting to see resolved, as the President assured us that he would address the problems,” Kagara said, expressing firm confidence that the presidency would follow through on its promises.
(Daily trust)