Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle has led eight suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly to meet President Bola Tinubu as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) prepares for the 2027 general elections.
The lawmakers, who had announced their resignation from the APC, reaffirmed their support for Tinubu and their commitment to the party during the meeting at the Presidential Villa.
According to a statement issued on Monday by Matawalle’s Personal Assistant on Media, Ahmad Dan-Wudil, the former Zamfara governor pledged to integrate the legislators into the Tinubu Again Movement to mobilise support for the President and other APC candidates.
The lawmakers are Aliyu Ango Kagara, Ibrahim Tukur Bakura, Faruk Musa Dosara, Bashir Abubakar Masama, Muktaru Nasiru Kaura, Nasiru Abdullahi, Bashar Bello and Bashar Aliyu.
Their meeting with Tinubu comes amid political tensions in Zamfara, where the lawmakers have cited alleged injustice, disunity among party stakeholders and the handling of insecurity as reasons for leaving the APC.
The legislators were first suspended by the state House of Assembly on February 26, 2024, over allegations of gross misconduct, conspiracy and holding an illegal sitting. The suspension was extended on May 13, 2026.
The Speaker, Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki, had said the disciplinary action preceded the lawmakers’ political decisions and arose from internal matters within the legislature.
Meanwhile, APC chieftain Sani Shinkafi said five of the eight lawmakers were elected in 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party before defecting to the APC, while three won their seats on the APC ticket.
Shinkafi also dismissed reports linking the lawmakers to Senator Abdul’aziz Yari, describing them as mischievous and sponsored.
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