A major political realignment is set to unfold in Zamfara State, as Vice-President Kashim Shettima and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, prepare to formally receive Governor Dauda Lawal into the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Matawalle, the immediate-past governor of the state, is expected to arrive in Gusau today Monday, March 23, ahead of the grand reception scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday, at the Trade Fair Complex. The event will officially mark Governor Lawal’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
The Vice-President is billed to lead the ceremony, which will also witness the formal entry of the deputy governor, members of the State Executive Council, and all 14 local government chairmen into the ruling party.
Confirming the development, the Zamfara APC Chairman, Tukur Ɗanfulani Maikatako, said the party has concluded arrangements for the high-profile event. Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Gusau, he described the governor’s return as a boost to the party’s strength and unity in the state.
Maikatako called on party members across the 147 wards to turn out in large numbers to the Vice President, noting that the visit would further consolidate the APC’s position ahead of the 2027 general elections. He also urged stakeholders to set aside internal differences, emphasizing the need for unity. “The APC is one family, united by a shared vision of advancing the development of Zamfara State and Nigeria”, he said.
In a similar vein, former state APC chairman, Lawal M. Liman, encouraged members to intensify grassroots mobilisation and promote cohesion within the party.
The development signals a significant political shift, effectively bringing Zamfara State back under the control of the ruling APC, and reinforcing its status as a traditional stronghold of the party.
