Whipped into line: Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal Set To Betray His People, Join APC

Secrets Reporters

Following months of mounting pressure, the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawan Dare is set to become the latest Nigerian governor to betray those who voted him into office by dumping the political party that gave him the throne of a State’s leader.

SecretsReporters gathered that on Friday night, the governor convened an emergency meeting with his cabinet and key stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party to discuss the way forward ahead of the 2027 election which is less than a year from now.

Sources close to the governor revealed that the discussion, initially framed as a strategy session, quickly gravitated toward whether Zamfara should bow to the mounting pressure and join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

By the meeting’s end, insiders say, the consensus tilted sharply in favour of the switch, urging the governor to take the political plunge into APC’s widening embrace.

Public records have it that the All Progressives Congress (APC) now wields overwhelming influence across 30 states, leaving a mere six under opposition control and if Zamfara joins the growing list, opposition will shrink to five.

In the South-South, the ruling party has achieved a clean sweep, firmly claiming Delta, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Cross River, Rivers, and Bayelsa. Political analysts describe the region as a fortress of APC dominance, with one noting, “The writing is on the wall. APC’s shadow looms everywhere, and Zamfara may soon be the final nail in the coffin for opposition in the North-West.”

In the North-Central zone, APC’s grip is equally formidable. Benue, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Plateau all fall under the party’s control, leaving little room for opposition maneuvering.

The South-East presents a more mixed landscape. APC holds Enugu, Ebonyi, and Imo, but Abia remains under the Labour Party (LP) and Anambra under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

In the South-West, APC dominates Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, and Ondo, while Oyo stays with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Osun under Accord.

The North-East mirrors this pattern of consolidation. Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Gombe, and Adamawa are firmly in APC hands, leaving only Bauchi under PDP control. Just recently, the Bauchi State governor held a closed door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, in what insiders believe is a plot to get the governor to join the APC.

The North-West has become an APC stronghold. Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, and Kano are firmly secured, with Zamfara standing as the last significant opposition outpost. Observers suggest that if Governor Dare were to switch allegiance, the final barrier to APC’s unchallenged dominance in the region would fall, completing the party’s near-absolute sweep.