Eight Zamfara Lawmakers Quit APC Over Insecurity, Unpaid Entitlements

Eight members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have announced their resignation from the All Progressives Congress, citing worsening insecurity, alleged political injustice and prolonged non-payment of salaries and other entitlements. The development has deepened political tensions within the Zamfara APC ahead of the 2027 general elections, although the lawmakers have not announced the political platform they intend to join. The lawmakers said their decision followed growing concerns about the security situation in their constituencies and what they described as the failure of the party and government to adequately respond to the challenges confronting residents, particularly those in rural communities. Lawmakers cite insecurity, welfare concerns Aliyu Ango Kagara, who represents Talata Mafara South Constituency, spoke on behalf of the group and criticised the handling of insecurity in the state. According to Kagara, the security situation in the areas represented by the lawmakers had continued to deteriorate despite concerns previously raised by them. He said the lawmakers could no longer justify remaining in the APC when, in their assessment, the concerns of their constituents were not receiving adequate attention. Kagara specifically alleged that residents in rural communities who elected them to address security challenges were being neglected. He also claimed that the lawmakers themselves had gone 32 months without receiving salaries, allowances and other entitlements. The allegation adds a welfare dimension to what would otherwise have been seen primarily as a political dispute within the ruling party. The lawmakers' account, however, represents their position and has not been independently established as a finding against the Zamfara State Government. Eight lawmakers named Those identified in the eight-member account are Aliyu Kagara of Talata Mafara South, Ibrahim Tukur Bakura of Bakura, Faruk Musa Dosara of Maradun I and Bashir Abubakar Masama of Bukkuyum North. The others are Muktaru Nasiru Kaura of Kaura North, Nasiru Abdullahi of Maru North, Bashar Bello of Bungudu West and Bashar Aliyu of Gummi I. Their resignation was announced as political activity around the 2027 elections continues to intensify across the country. The lawmakers have not publicly disclosed their next political destination, meaning their departure from the APC should not yet be interpreted as an endorsement of another party or candidate. APC says it is yet to receive letters Despite the public announcement, the Zamfara APC said it had not formally received the resignation letters. The party's Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Danmadamin Birnin Magaji, said the documents had been seen circulating online but would have to pass through the lawmakers' respective ward and local government structures before reaching the state chapter. He said the party would communicate its position after receiving the letters officially. The APC spokesman also said the party had not been aware of any grievances from the lawmakers before their resignation notices became public. That position introduces an important distinction between the lawmakers' announcement and the party's formal records: while the lawmakers have publicly declared their exit, the APC says the administrative process for receiving the resignations had not yet been completed. Previous dispute over Assembly suspension The latest development is also connected to an earlier dispute involving the lawmakers and the Zamfara State House of Assembly. Reports said the affected lawmakers had previously been suspended amid allegations surrounding an attempt to impeach the Speaker. The Speaker of the House, Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki, subsequently issued a clarification stating that the lawmakers' suspension predated their latest political move. According to the Speaker, the lawmakers were suspended in February 2024 over allegations including gross misconduct, conspiracy, contempt of the House and violations of the Assembly's Standing Orders. The allegations, as presented by the Speaker, also included claims of forceful entry into Assembly offices, damage to public property and the convening of an unauthorised sitting. Moriki said the suspension was not triggered by the lawmakers' present decision to leave the APC and maintained that the House remained functional. He also said the suspension had been extended in May 2026 because the disciplinary issues had not been resolved. The Speaker's account therefore presents a different explanation of the lawmakers' history with the Assembly from the political grievances highlighted in their resignation. Disagreement over number of defectors There is also a discrepancy in the number of lawmakers reported to have left the APC. Gistreel, PUNCH, TheCable and several other reports identified eight lawmakers and published the same broad list of names. However, Channels Television reported that nine members had defected and included Yusuf Anka of Anka Constituency and Muktar Nasir, popularly known as Jikan Shehu, among those who left. Vanguard also published a nine-member list. Because the eight-member account is supported by multiple reports and by the Zamfara Assembly Speaker's statement specifically referring to eight defected lawmakers, the immediate development is best reported as involving eight lawmakers while noting the conflicting nine-member reports. Implications for Zamfara ahead of 2027 The resignations come at a politically sensitive period for Zamfara, where insecurity has remained a major public concern and political parties are beginning to position themselves for the 2027 elections. The lawmakers' decision could add to existing disagreements within the Zamfara APC, particularly if they eventually move collectively or individually to another political platform. For now, however, their next destination remains unclear. Their departure also does not automatically translate into a wider realignment of the state's electorate. Any impact on the 2027 elections will depend on where the lawmakers eventually go, whether they retain political influence in their constituencies and how the APC responds to the grievances they have raised. For the moment, the central issues cited by the lawmakers are insecurity, the welfare of their constituents, alleged unpaid entitlements and unresolved political disagreements within the state. The APC, meanwhile, is yet to formally acknowledge the resignations through its internal structures, while the state Assembly leadership has stressed that the lawmakers' previous suspension was based on disciplinary matters that predated their political decision. The unfolding dispute is therefore both a political realignment ahead of 2027 and another chapter in the longstanding tensions involving the lawmakers, the APC and the leadership of the Zamfara State House of Assembly.