Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State and his deputy, Mani Malam Mummuni, have defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in a major political realignment that could reshape party strength in Nigeria’s North-West.
The announcement was made on Monday by the deputy governor, who said the decision followed consultations with political stakeholders and supporters across the state.
According to Mummuni, the move was aimed at aligning Zamfara with the ruling party at the federal level to attract greater development opportunities and strengthen governance in the state.
Sources within the state government said the PDP flag was removed from the Government House shortly after the decision was finalised, in the presence of cabinet members and political aides.
A video circulating online showed the deputy governor celebrating with members of the state executive council while praising the APC following the political shift.
Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad also confirmed the development, stating that reports from the state indicated that the governor and several members of his cabinet had aligned with the ruling party.
The development comes as the PDP battles a deepening internal crisis over its national leadership.
Earlier on Monday, the Court of Appeal upheld a previous ruling barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the party’s national convention held in Ibadan on November 15, 2025.
The appellate court affirmed a January 30, 2026 judgment by a Federal High Court in Ibadan, which declared the convention invalid and restrained members of the National Working Committee led by Tanimu Turaki from presenting themselves as national officers of the party.
The court also ruled that the caretaker committee headed by Mohammed Abdulrahman and Samuel Anyanwu remains the only recognised leadership of the PDP pending the conduct of a valid national convention.
The leadership tussle has triggered multiple legal battles and widened divisions within the opposition party.
Allies of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had earlier approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to nullify the Ibadan convention, arguing that it was conducted in violation of existing court rulings.
Political observers say the defection by the Zamfara governor and his deputy could weaken the PDP’s structure in the North-West while strengthening the APC’s position ahead of future electoral contests.
