The lawmakers say their visit to the President focused on their suspension from the State Assembly and outstanding entitlements, not a decision to rejoin the ruling party.
Eight suspended members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have denied reports that they have returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC) following a meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The lawmakers, through their spokesperson, Ibrahim Tukur Bakura, who represents Bakura Constituency, said the meeting was primarily intended to address their suspension from the Assembly and their outstanding salaries, allowances and other entitlements.
Bakura described reports suggesting that the lawmakers had rejoined the APC as false and misleading.
“Neither have we decamped to the APC nor promised to return to the APC. What took us to the Villa was to discuss the problem of why we were suspended, our pending entitlements and how to resolve it,” he said.
Lawmakers Promise Public Announcement if They Rejoin APC
Bakura said the group had not made a formal decision to return to the ruling party, adding that any future decision would be publicly announced.
He assured journalists that he would personally inform the media if the lawmakers eventually decided to rejoin the APC.
The clarification followed speculation generated by the lawmakers’ meeting with Tinubu on Monday. The delegation was led to the Presidential Villa by Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence and former Zamfara State governor.
However, a statement issued earlier by Matawalle’s media aide had suggested that the lawmakers reaffirmed their loyalty to the APC and their support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections. The lawmakers’ latest comments dispute reports that they have formally returned to the party.
Background to the Political Dispute
The eight lawmakers recently announced their resignation from the APC, citing grievances that included alleged injustice, insecurity in Zamfara State and unpaid entitlements.
The affected legislators are Aliyu Ango Kagara, Ibrahim Tukur Bakura, Faruk Musa Dosara, Bashir Abubakar Masama, Muktaru Nasiru Kaura, Nasiru Abdullahi, Bashar Bello and Bashar Aliyu.
They were suspended from the Zamfara State House of Assembly in February 2024 over allegations of misconduct and violations of legislative rules. The suspension was reportedly extended in May 2026.
The Assembly’s Speaker, Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki, has maintained that the suspension arose from disciplinary matters and predated the lawmakers’ recent political decisions. The allegations against the lawmakers should be distinguished from any final judicial determination. <Cite
For now, the lawmakers insist that their meeting with Tinubu should not be interpreted as a formal return to the APC. Any change in their party affiliation remains subject to an official announcement from the legislators.
