Six PDP Lawmakers Defect To APC, Shaking Zamfara Assembly

According to Ireporter Online, six lawmakers of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), reshaping the political landscape of the state legislature.

The defectors, originally elected under the PDP platform, cited internal disputes and unresolved party crises as reasons for their decision to join the APC, a move interpreted as part of the ruling party’s efforts to consolidate its dominance in the state.

Those who crossed over include Muktar Nasir Kaura representing Kaura North Constituency, Nasiru Abdullahi Maru of Maru North, Amiru Ahmad Keta of Tsafe West, Bashar Aliyu Gummi of Gummi I, Barrister Bashir Abubakar Masama of Bukkuyum North, and Bashir Bello representing Bungudu West Constituency.

The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, while reading the lawmakers’ letters of defection on the floor, described their exit as a consequence of “divisions and unresolved political crises in the PDP.” The defectors themselves stated that internal wrangling within the PDP had hindered their political ambitions and declared their alignment with the APC’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” under President Bola Tinubu.

Political analysts note that the shift significantly strengthens the APC’s numerical advantage in the Zamfara State legislature while highlighting the continuing challenges facing the PDP, which has suffered similar setbacks in other states. In Rivers State, for instance, the opposition party was recently reduced to just two members in its House of Representatives caucus following the defection of six lawmakers to the APC.

The latest wave of defections underscores growing instability within the PDP, as the party struggles to maintain its relevance amid internal disputes and the steady expansion of the APC across several state assemblies.