Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Nine members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing disagreements over insecurity, alleged poor governance and concerns about the welfare of residents.
The development, reported on October 4 and updated on October 5, 2026, adds to the growing political realignments in Zamfara ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The lawmakers are Aliyu Ango Kagara, representing Talata Mafara South; Muktar Nasir, popularly known as Jikan Shehu, representing Kaura Namoda North; Faruk Dosara Musa of Maradun I; Basiru Bello of Bungudu West; Bashir A. Masama of Bukkuyum North; Ibrahim T. Tukur of Bakura; Nasiru Abdullahi of Maru North; Yusuf Muhammad Anka of Anka; and Bashar Aliyu of Gummi I.
The lawmakers’ departure followed a prolonged disagreement with Governor Dauda Lawal over the handling of insecurity in the state. Kagara said the lawmakers had raised concerns about security on the floor of the House, but their position allegedly resulted in disagreements with the governor and their subsequent suspension.
“Because of the lack of security and lack of concern for the people of Zamfara, we raised the issue in the House,” Kagara said, according to reports by Channels Television and Punch.
He alleged that the lawmakers’ concerns were not adequately addressed and that their disagreements with the governor had continued for more than two years.
Kagara further alleged that the government had failed to give sufficient attention to rural communities affected by insecurity. He said the lawmakers could no longer justify remaining in the APC when, in their view, the security concerns of the people who elected them remained unresolved.
The lawmakers also complained about internal party issues, including alleged injustice, divisions among APC stakeholders and what they described as a lack of fair treatment.
In separate resignation letters dated October 4, some of the lawmakers cited “lack of unity among the party stakeholders,” “deception,” “uncertainties,” “injustice” and the government’s alleged inability to overcome the security situation in their constituencies and across the state.
Dosara, who represents Maradun I, accused Governor Lawal of what he described as a “nonchalant attitude” and poor leadership. Abdullahi, representing Maru North, similarly cited insecurity, injustice and what he described as poor governance among the reasons for his resignation.
The lawmakers’ grievances also extend to their personal welfare. In an earlier report concerning the resignation of eight of the lawmakers, Kagara alleged that they had gone 32 months without receiving salaries, allowances and other entitlements.
“This is our 32 months without salary, allowances and other entitlements as honourable members and the people of Zamfara; the ball is in their court,” Kagara said.
The allegation adds another dimension to the dispute, with the lawmakers linking their decision to both the security situation in their constituencies and concerns over their treatment as elected representatives.
There is, however, a discrepancy in early reports over the number of lawmakers involved. Several reports published on October 4 identified eight lawmakers as having resigned from the APC, while later reports from Punch and Channels Television identified nine lawmakers and reported that they had moved to the ADC.
The additional name in the later reports is Yusuf Muhammad Anka, who represents Anka constituency. Punch reported that nine lawmakers had defected to the ADC, while also noting that five of them had initially announced their resignations in separate letters dated October 4. The sequence suggests that the reports of eight resignations were followed by confirmation of a broader nine-member defection.
The political development comes amid a period of considerable tension within Zamfara’s political structure. The state has continued to face security challenges, while disagreements between some lawmakers and the state government have produced repeated disputes within the House of Assembly.
The lawmakers had previously been suspended amid allegations that they attempted to impeach the Speaker. They have disputed aspects of the dispute and maintained that their concerns were connected to issues affecting their constituents, particularly insecurity.
The APC, for its part, initially said it had not received official copies of the resignation letters. The party’s Zamfara Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji, said the party had seen the letters circulating on social media but was awaiting formal communication through the lawmakers’ respective wards and local government structures.
“We are still waiting for their correspondence from their respective political wards after reaching their local government executives, which would later be forwarded to us,” Birnin-Magaji said.
He added that the APC was not aware of any grievances from the lawmakers before the resignation letters emerged publicly.
The party’s position contrasts with the lawmakers’ account that their grievances had persisted for an extended period. Their complaints centre largely on insecurity, internal party disagreements and welfare issues.
The immediate political implications of the defections remain significant as parties position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections. The movement of nine serving lawmakers from the APC to the ADC represents a further shift in Zamfara’s political landscape, particularly because several of those involved hold constituencies in areas that have faced security concerns.
The lawmakers have now joined the ADC, although the full implications of their move for the balance of political influence in the Zamfara House of Assembly remain to be seen.
For Governor Lawal’s administration, the accusations place renewed political attention on its handling of insecurity and its relationship with lawmakers who say their constituents have not received adequate attention. The governor’s administration had not responded to the latest allegations in the reports reviewed.
The defections also come as political parties across Nigeria begin positioning themselves more aggressively ahead of the 2027 elections. In Zamfara, where insecurity remains a major political issue, the lawmakers’ decision has brought the state’s security situation and internal political divisions back into focus.
At the centre of the controversy are allegations rather than independently established findings: the lawmakers have accused the governor and APC leadership of failing to adequately address security and welfare concerns, while the APC has disputed aspects of their account by saying it had not formally received their resignation letters when the initial reports emerged.
The latest reports, however, indicate that nine lawmakers have left the APC for the ADC, marking a fresh political development in Zamfara less than a year before the 2027 general elections.
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