Matawalle Leads Eight Suspended Zamfara Lawmakers To Tinubu, Reaffirms Loyalty To APC

Eight suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly who recently resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) have met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, reaffirming their loyalty to the party.

The lawmakers were led to the Presidential Villa by the Minister of State for Defence and former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, who is also a chieftain of the party.

A statement by Matawalle’s Personal Assistant on Media, Ahmad Dan-Wudil, on Monday said the lawmakers reaffirmed their support for President Tinubu and their resolve to remain in the APC.

According to the statement, Matawalle pledged to integrate the lawmakers into the Tinubu Again Movement (TAM) to work collectively for the President and all APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The 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).

Eight lawmakers in the Zamfara State House of Assembly 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.

The Speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki, had said the suspension predated their political decision and arose from disciplinary matters within the House.

The lawmakers had, in their resignation letters, cited alleged injustice, disunity among APC stakeholders in the state and the handling of insecurity as reasons for leaving the party.

An APC chieftain, Sani Shinkafi, had clarified that five of the eight legislators were 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 ticket.

Shinkafi dismissed claims linking the lawmakers to Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, describing such reports as “mischievous and sponsored”.