Zamfara Speaker and 12 PDP Lawmakers Defect to APC; Ruling Party Now Controls All 24 Seats in State Assembly as Governor Lawal Prepares for Official Reception

The political landscape of Zamfara State has been completely “flipped” as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) achieved total dominance over the state legislature. On Monday, March 23, 2026, Speaker Bilyaminu Moriki led 12 of his colleagues in a mass defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), effectively ending any opposition presence in the House.

During a plenary session in Gusau, Speaker Moriki read the resignation letters of the 13 members, explaining that the decision was a “unanimous” move supported by their various constituencies. He noted that after Governor Dauda Lawal’s recent shift to the APC, it became necessary for the legislative arm to follow suit to ensure the state speaks with one voice. “Our decision is aimed at encouraging development and bringing the state closer to the center,” Moriki stated.

The timing of the defection is strategic. The APC National Secretariat has already set Tuesday, March 24, as the date for a “mammoth” reception rally where Vice President Kashim Shettima and former governors of the state will formally welcome Governor Lawal and the lawmakers.

For the PDP, this represents a crushing blow in a state they won in the 2023 elections. While the party has struggled with internal crises at the national level, the loss of an entire state assembly including top leaders like Deputy Speaker Adamu Aliyu and Chief Whip Rilwanu Nagambo leaves the opposition with no formal platform in Zamfara. As the “broom” sweeps through the state capital, the government insists this is the final “Solution” to the political friction that has slowed down progress in the North-West state.