With the growing defection of leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State, fear is said to have reportedly gripped the State Governor Dauda Lawal.
Sources within the Zamfara State Government House said, the defection of politicians from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has deepened the unease within the governor’s political camp as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
According to the sources, the governor is planning an emergency visit to President Bola Tinubu at the State House by 2 pm on Wednesday in what insiders have described as a desperate “political survival mission”.
The development, the source said, follows the mass defection of key PDP figures in Zamfara, including lawmakers, ward leaders, and former aides, who accused the governor of neglect, poor governance, and failure to deliver on his campaign promises.
On Tuesday, another PDP lawmaker, Maharazu Salisu, representing Maradun II Constituency in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, announced his defection to the APC at the party’s state secretariat in Gusau.
Salisu’s exit, alongside five PDP ward leaders across the state, signals another major blow to Lawal’s already weakened hold on the party.
The governor’s troubles worsened last week when a PDP candidate, whom he allegedly spent a huge sum to sponsor during his by-election, also defected to the APC, citing poor governance and growing discontent among citizens over the governor’s performance.
Insiders say Lawal is now under immense pressure, with the APC currently holding 13 of the 24 seats in the Zamfara State House of Assembly.
In addition, about seven PDP lawmakers are said to be preparing to defect to the ruling party — a move that could leave Lawal with only four loyal members and expose him to an impeachment threat.
According to the sources, the governor held a late-night meeting with several state assembly members on Monday, during which he reportedly expressed fears of losing his seat before 2027.
One source said Lawal told his aides that, “even if he loses power,” he has “international options,” citing properties he owns in London, Dubai, the United States, and Germany where he could easily relocate if ousted.
Meanwhile, the Northern APC Stakeholders Forum has rejected any attempt to allow Lawal to defect to the APC, warning that his poor performance would damage the party’s image in the region.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mubarak Liman, the forum accused Lawal of presiding over one of the worst periods of insecurity and infrastructural neglect in the state’s history.
“Governor Dauda Lawal has failed woefully in all areas of governance — from security to infrastructure and welfare. Any attempt to welcome him into the APC will spell doom for the party in Zamfara and the North-West at large,” the statement said.
The forum further noted that the steady stream of defections by lawmakers and grassroots leaders was proof of the governor’s eroding political base and growing unpopularity.
Party insiders believe the planned visit to President Tinubu is Lawal’s last-ditch effort to seek political protection and possibly negotiate a soft landing as the APC’s dominance tightens across Zamfara State.
