Ismaeel Aleem
The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has credited Minister of State for Defence Dr Bello Matawalle and former governor Abdulaziz Yari with eroding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s stronghold in the state, as defections accelerate ahead of future polls.
In a victory statement issued on Tuesday, APC Publicity Secretary Alhaji Yusuf Idris hailed the duo’s motivational efforts for inspiring PDP loyalists to cross over, bolstering the opposition’s ranks.
Idris spotlighted the latest high-profile switch: Hon. Maharazu Faru, the PDP representative for Maradun II State House of Assembly Constituency, who formally defected to the APC amid a swelling crowd at the party secretariat in Gusau.
The ceremony, presided over by State APC Chairman Hon. Tukur Danfulani, drew hundreds of supporters, including five ward chairmen from Faru/Magami, Hon. Ahmad Lawal (Sarkin Samari) of Gidan Goga Ward, Hon. Sanusi Ahmad Liman of Tsibiri Ward, Hon. Lawal Mohammed of Kaya Ward, Shingi Dan-Abu of Janbako Ward and ex-officio member Alhaji Salisu Dodo Faru.
Faru, speaking with evident frustration, cited Governor Dauda Lawal’s unfulfilled campaign pledges as the tipping point.
“My constituency has been ignored and sidelined, with no justice or fairness for PDP members here,” he lamented, decrying the ruling party’s descent into “crises at all levels.”
He pointed to a broader exodus, with PDP governors and their followers fleeing to the APC, underscoring the party’s imploding grip on power.
Idris portrayed the defections as a testament to Matawalle and Yari’s unifying influence, which he said continues to lure top politicians from rival camps.
“Their support has ignited a wave of inspiration, drawing PDP heavyweights into our fold,” he declared, framing the influx as a strategic boon for the APC’s resurgence in Zamfara.
