A political analyst in Zamfara, Prof. Abubakar Abdullahi has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene as the continued crisis among major APC political blocs in the state has persisted. This is contained in a statement by Abdullahi made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gusau on Monday.
Abdullahi, a professor of political Science at the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, cited the recent exit of the eight Zamfara state lawmakers from the All Progressives Congress, as a major setback to the party in the build up to the 2027 general poll.
He advised the president to bring the Director-General APC presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Sen. Abdul’aziz Yari, the Minister of State, Defence, Bello Matawalle and Gov. Dauda Lawal together to resolve their differences. According to him, their persistent political difference would affect the party’s calculations in the 2027 general poll.
“Politics is indeed a game of numbers. A political party draws its strength and capacity to win elections from the number of committed registered supporters, especially those drawn from the grassroots.
“The resignation of eight members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday can have significant implications for the party’s political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The lawmakers’ planned defection to the opposition could weaken APC structures linked to some of the party’s major political figures. “The development is a major setback for the APC, particularly in a state where the party is expected to deliver strong support for the President in the 2027 presidential election,” he said.
According to the don, the lawmakers’ resignations are indication that all may not be well within the Zamfara APC, especially amid longstanding disagreements among political camps associated with Yari, Matawalle among others. Abdullahi said the political crisis in the State House of Assembly had remained unresolved since 2024 alleging that several efforts to reconcile the affected lawmakers with the state government were unsuccessful.
He blamed Gov. Lawal for failing to resolve the disagreement, rather than allowing the crisis to persist for more than two years. The analyst said the affected lawmakers had grassroots influence in their constituencies and that their movement to the opposition could pose a serious challenge to APC candidates in several constituencies across the state.
The lecturer noted that the impact could be particularly significant in Zamfara West, where five of the eight lawmakers reportedly come from five of the six local government areas in Yari’s senatorial district. Abdullahi described the resignation of Aliyu Ango Kagara, representing Talata Mafara South, as particularly significant because of his longstanding political association with Yari.
According to him, the resignation of Ibrahim T. Tukur, representing Bakura Constituency, could affect political calculations around former Governor Ahmad Sani Yarima Bakura among others.
The eight lawmakers were suspended by the State House of Assembly on Feb. 27, 2024, following alleged violations of the Assembly’s standing orders, allegations which the affected lawmakers had consistently denied. The lawmakers remained suspended for about 31 months without salaries and allowances, even after intervention of several prominent politicians in the state.
