15 top PDP leaders defect to APC in Zamfara, Matawalle assures equal treatment
No fewer than 15 top leaders of the Zamfara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). They were formally received by the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the APC Publicity Secretary, Comrade Yusuf Idris Gusau, the defectors were presented to Dr. Matawalle by the APC State Chairman, Hon. Tukur Umar Danfulani, alongside Senator Tijjani Yahaya and Hon. Lawal M. Liman on Tuesday, 22nd October 2025.
Welcoming the new members, Dr. Matawalle assured them of equal treatment and opportunities within the party. He described their decision to join the APC as “bold and timely,” given the party’s growing popularity and acceptance in Zamfara and across Nigeria.
He also commended the Zamfara APC leadership for its commitment to grassroots mobilisation, which he said had made the party “more acceptable and popular in all the nooks and crannies of the state.”
“The APC will continue to be more united and strong with the current strategy mapped out to ensure that welfare packages are delivered to the people,” Matawalle added.
While presenting the new members, Hon. Danfulani announced that the 15 defectors included key PDP state and zonal executives who had joined the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
They were earlier received into the party by Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura on behalf of former Governor and Senator representing Zamfara West, Abdul’aziz Yari.
Among those who defected were PDP Youth Leader, Isiyaka M. Dabo; Zonal Treasurer (Zamfara West), Nasiru Mohammed Anka; Organising Secretary (Zamfara North), Junaidu Magaji Kiyawa; Assistant Organising Secretary (Zamfara West), Hon. Musa Halilu Faru; Zonal Secretary (Zamfara North), Alh. Lawali Aliyu Shinkafi; Hajiya Rabi Bakura, and Hajiya Amina Duniya, both ex-officio members.
Senator Kaura, while addressing the gathering, announced that Yari and Matawalle would jointly host an elaborate reception for the defectors on a later date.
“It is a great day for our party,” he said. “Their coming into the APC will strengthen the party’s structure and boost its chances in the 2027 general elections.”
He described the defection as a “good omen,” urging the new members to work collectively to consolidate APC’s growing popularity.
In his remarks, Hon. Danfulani assured the newcomers of full integration into the party, saying the APC “remains open and fair to all those committed to its progress.”
Explaining their reasons for leaving the PDP, Isiyaka M. Dabo said, “I left the PDP because the party favours only the rich,” adding that he was inspired by Senator Yari and Matawalle’s leadership.
Amina Duniya, who said she had spent 25 years in the PDP, urged APC leaders to “ensure fairness and justice,” pledging to mobilise more supporters for the party.
Other defectors included Bashar Mohammed Dogon Kade, a former PDP aspirant for Kaura Namoda South constituency, and Rilwanu Bello, an ex-councillorship aspirant.
Danfulani dismissed rumours of internal crisis within the APC, insisting the party remained “strong, united, and increasingly popular.”
“With our recent victory in the state by-election and the calibre of people joining us, it is clear that APC will reclaim Zamfara in 2027,” he said.
The event was attended by several APC stalwarts, including former Deputy Governor Senator Hassan Nasiha, Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura, Hon. Lawal M. Gabdon Kaura, Alhaji Kabiru Balarabe, Hon. Yazid Shehu Danfulani, and many others.
