By Taibat Ummi Yakubu
Eight suspended lawmakers from the Zamfara State House of Assembly have met President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, declaring renewed loyalty to the All Progressives Congress (APC) after recently announcing their departure from the ruling party.
The meeting, facilitated by Minister of State for Defence and former Zamfara Governor Bello Matawalle, comes amid questions over the lawmakers’ political future and the internal disagreements that preceded their resignation from the APC.
According to a statement issued on Monday by Ahmad Dan-Wudil, Matawalle’s Personal Assistant on Media, the legislators reaffirmed their support for Tinubu and expressed their determination to remain with the APC.
Matawalle also pledged to bring them into the Tinubu Again Movement (TAM), a political platform expected to mobilise support for the President and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The eight lawmakers are Aliyu Ango Kagara of Talata Mafara South, Ibrahim Tukur Bakura of Bakura, Faruk Musa Dosara of Maradun I, Bashir Abubakar Masama of Bukkuyum North, Muktaru Nasiru Kaura of Kaura North, Nasiru Abdullahi of Maru North, Bashar Bello of Bungudu West and Bashar Aliyu of Gummi I.
Their latest political move comes against the backdrop of a prolonged dispute with the state legislature. The lawmakers were suspended on February 26, 2024, over allegations of gross misconduct, conspiracy and holding an illegal sitting. The suspension was extended on May 13, 2026.
However, the Speaker of the House, Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki, maintained that the disciplinary action was taken before the lawmakers made their political decision to leave the APC, insisting that their suspension arose from internal matters within the Assembly.
In their resignation letters, the legislators cited alleged injustice, disunity among APC stakeholders in Zamfara and concerns over the handling of insecurity as reasons for their decision to quit the party.
The controversy has also attracted political interpretations. APC chieftain Sani Shinkafi dismissed claims that the lawmakers were linked to Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, describing such reports as “mischievous and sponsored”.
Shinkafi further disclosed that five of the eight legislators were originally elected in 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before defecting to the APC, while only three won their seats on the APC platform.
The lawmakers’ meeting with Tinubu and pledge of renewed support now place their political allegiance back in focus, particularly as the APC begins positioning itself for the 2027 elections. Yet, the questions surrounding their earlier resignation and the unresolved circumstances of their suspension remain important parts of the unfolding political story.
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