The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has welcomed the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that Mr Lawal on Monday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling APC, citing the protracted crisis rocking the opposition party.
Reacting to the development, Mr Matawalle — a long-time political rival of the governor — described the defection as a “political reunion” and a historic turning point for Zamfara State.
“Today marks a historic moment in the political history of our state and our dear nation as we welcome a friend and brother, the Executive Governor of Zamfara State, His Excellency Dauda Lawal, into our great party, the APC,” Mr Matawalle said.
He added that the governor’s entry into the APC signals a unified front in addressing the state’s security challenges.
“Zamfara State now requires the collective commitment of all of us to confront and address our challenges, particularly insecurity, while working together to realise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda,” he said.
Mr Matawalle urged party loyalists and supporters to set aside past political differences and collaborate with the administration to ensure a “more secure, safe and prosperous Zamfara State.”
He also called for unity within the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown us that politics is not war but the art of building bridges across rivers of difference. For me, this is a political reunion with my friend and brother.
“To all members of our great party, we must unite with renewed determination to ensure victory for our party in the 2027 elections. As a true progressive, I will support Governor Dauda Lawal in pursuing our collective vision for a more secure and prosperous Zamfara State,” he said.
