What Ended My Stay In PDP — Gov Lawal

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has explained that the lingering legal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), culminating in a recent Appeal Court ruling, forced him to leave the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

On Monday, the Appeal Court upheld the judgment of a Federal High Court, which restrained the PDP from conducting the National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on November 15 and 16, 2025.

filed by the PDP challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to entertain the suit.

The lower court had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the outcome of the Ibadan convention.

Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam who read the judgement held that the PDP violated constitutional provisions guiding the conduct of a convention.

Hours after the ruling, the PDP flag was pulled down in Zamfara Government House, while Deputy Governor Mani Mummuni announced the defection to the APC.

According to Mummuni, the decision followed a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House, Gusau.

The number two man said Governor Lawal, who is currently on Lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia, gave full consent to the action.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, described the move as a necessary step taken in the interest of the state amid ongoing legal battles affecting the PDP.

According to the statement, the decision to join the APC was endorsed by key political stakeholders in Zamfara State after weeks of consultations.

“Governor Dauda Lawal has officially decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a decision reached and endorsed by all relevant stakeholders in Zamfara State,” the statement said.

It noted that Lawal had remained committed to the PDP and made efforts to reconcile the party’s factions to ensure unity ahead of future elections.

The statement, however, said repeated attempts at peace, reconciliation and out-of-court settlements failed, leading to prolonged legal disputes that could affect the party’s ability to field candidates in the 2027 general elections.

“Governor Lawal was the last man standing in the Peoples Democratic Party who stood firm until the very end, which was marked by yesterday’s Appeal Court judgment,” the statement added.

The governor was said to have earlier informed stakeholders during a series of meetings that he would take a final decision on his political future after the verdict of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.

According to the governor’s spokesman, the appellate ruling ultimately sealed Lawal’s decision to exit the PDP.

“The appellate judgment ended Governor Dauda Lawal’s stay in the Peoples Democratic Party, as he prioritised the interests of Zamfara State,” the statement said.

It added that the governor joined the APC in order to sustain the administration’s “Zamfara Rescue and Rebuild Mission.”