… NASS, APC governors back defection, pledge support for development
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday said the end of insecurity in Nigeria is within reach, assuring that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is working relentlessly to restore peace and protect lives and property across the country.
Shettima made the remarks in Gusau, Zamfara State, during a grand reception where he formally received Governor Dauda Lawal and his supporters into the All Progressives Congress (APC) on behalf of the President.
“We pray for more unity and progress under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because as our leader is working very hard to ensure the safety of lives and property across Nigeria,” the Vice President said.
He expressed optimism that the prevailing security challenges in Zamfara and other troubled states would soon be addressed, noting that the governor’s entry into the APC would further strengthen efforts to tackle insecurity.
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima also projected political consolidation in the state, saying opposition parties would struggle to gain footing in Zamfara as key political actors were now aligned under one platform.
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Shettima assured Governor Lawal of the support of the Federal Government and the APC, commending the people of the state for standing by their governor and the ruling party.
Earlier, Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, who represented Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said members of the National Assembly elected on the APC platform fully supported the governor’s defection.
“The Governor will now be working together with other governors to help address the problems of the state and further enhance development,” Barau said, adding that security challenges, though not peculiar to Zamfara, are surmountable through collaboration.
He urged residents of the state to support the APC in the 2027 general elections to enjoy more dividends of democracy.
Also speaking, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, described the defection as historic, declaring that Zamfara had returned to the progressive fold.
“Today there is no opposition in Zamfara State,” Abbas said, urging the governor to carry all stakeholders along while calling on citizens to support his administration for greater development.
Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, said APC governors were delighted to welcome Lawal into their fold, describing the development as a “win-win situation” for the state.
“APC is a moving train and we are happy that the State has joined that train. All Governors of APC will support Governor Lawal to do more for this State,” he said.
On his part, the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, declared that Zamfara was now fully an APC state, noting that former governors had pledged support for the incumbent.
He commended Lawal’s performance, particularly in infrastructure development, including the construction of a new airport, before presenting him with the APC flag and broom—the symbol of the party.
In his remarks, Governor Lawal thanked former governors of the state, including the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and Senator Abdulazeez Yari, for their support and cooperation.
He pledged loyalty to the APC and commitment to the progress of Zamfara, promising to work with all stakeholders to advance development in the state.
“I will embrace all my predecessors, and I will work hard for the progress of Zamfara State,” he said.
Former governors Yari and Matawale, in their separate remarks, also pledged their full support for Governor Lawal and President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Matawale specifically dismissed speculation about contesting the governorship in 2027, declaring that Governor Lawal remains his preferred candidate.
