Gov Lawal weighs defection to APC amid PDP crisis

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State is reportedly considering defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as political consultations intensify ahead of key electoral timelines.

Speculation surrounding the governor’s possible defection suggests that APC leaders in Abuja have been courting him to join the party, reportedly offering him an automatic ticket to contest the governorship election in 2027.

According to the reports, the arrangement may allow Lawal to retain control of about 40 per cent of elective and political appointments in the state, while the remaining 60 per cent would go to APC stakeholders.

Sources also claim that the governor has consulted with PDP stakeholders in the state regarding the proposed move, which is said to be linked to the ongoing leadership crisis within the party at the national level.

The governor is reportedly expected to announce his decision shortly after the upcoming Eid al-Adha celebration.

A source within the APC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Lawal had already accepted the offer to defect to the party.

“Governor Lawal has accepted the offer to leave the PDP and join the APC. Although many of us are not celebrating this development because we may lose several positions, the decision appears to have been taken at the top,” the source said.

The source, however, expressed confidence that the APC would reclaim Zamfara State in 2027 regardless of the governor’s eventual decision.

Reacting to the speculation, Lawal said his political future would depend largely on the outcome of the Appeal Court ruling on the leadership dispute within the PDP.

Addressing party stakeholders at the Government House in Gusau, the governor stated that the verdict would determine the legality of the party’s leadership under Tanimu Turaki (SAN) and the convention held in Ibadan.

The PDP has been embroiled in a legal battle over the legitimacy of the November 2025 convention in Ibadan, which was backed by PDP governors amid disagreements with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. The convention produced Turaki as the party’s national chairman.

However, a High Court sitting in Ibadan later declared the convention illegal and null and void, prompting the party to approach the Appeal Court for a final determination.

Speaking to The PUNCH, the Zamfara PDP spokesperson, Alhaji Haliru Andi, maintained that Lawal would only consider leaving the party if the internal crisis remains unresolved.

“As long as the PDP remains the legitimate political party in Nigeria, Governor Lawal will remain in the party. We are waiting for the Appeal Court’s verdict, which will determine the legality or otherwise of Turaki’s leadership and the Ibadan convention,” Andi said.

He added that the governor, along with party stakeholders and supporters in Zamfara, would remain committed to the PDP unless the crisis persists without resolution.