APC group says eight Zamfara lawmakers back in party after Matawalle talks
- A pro-APC group says eight suspended Zamfara Assembly members have rejoined the ruling party.
- It credits Defence Minister Bello Matawalle's reconciliation committee and a meeting with President Tinubu.
- The group also says northern votes for Tinubu in 2027 are not negotiable.
A group loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) says eight members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly who left the party have now returned, and it is giving the credit to the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.
The APC Vanguard, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Danladi Musa, said the lawmakers came back after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, and that vehicles were later given to them.
The eight are Aliyu Ango Kagara, Ibrahim Tukur Bakura, Faruk Musa Dosara, Bashir Abubakar Masama, Muktaru Nasiru Kaura, Nasiru Abdullahi, Bashar Bello and Bashar Aliyu. According to the group, they had resigned from the APC over a long suspension and worries about insecurity in the state.
Why it matters
Zamfara is one of the states where the APC wants a strong showing in the 2027 general elections. Losing sitting lawmakers weakens a party's hold on the state assembly and on local support, so the group is presenting their return as a win.
Musa said the reconciliation committee led by Matawalle kept the party from losing ground in the state. He also said the vehicle gift was meant to help the lawmakers get back to their constituencies and campaign for Tinubu and other APC candidates.
On the North's voting plans, Musa was direct: “Northern votes for President Bola Tinubu in 2027 are not negotiable.” He said the region's people would not be swayed by what he called temporary disagreements or opposition propaganda.
The group also thanked Tinubu for meeting the lawmakers and for assurances on their security and welfare. It asked the Zamfara Assembly leadership to settle the remaining issues around the suspension so the eight can fully return to legislative work.
The statement is the group's own account. The lawmakers have not spoken publicly in the reports, and there was no word from the Zamfara Assembly leadership on the suspension.
What happens next
The Assembly leadership will have to clear the suspension before the eight can sit again. The APC will also be watching whether the reconciliation holds as the 2027 campaigns draw closer.
