PDP Crisis: Gov Lawal Weighing His Options – Aides

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, is considering his political options amid ongoing legal disputes affecting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the national level.

Lawal, who won the 2023 governorship election on the PDP platform in what was widely described as a major political upset after defeating then-incumbent governor Bello Matawalle of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has begun consultations with party stakeholders across the 14 local government areas of the state.

His spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, told Channels Television that the consultations were necessitated by persistent legal issues surrounding the PDP’s national leadership.

He clarified that the governor has not taken any final decision on whether to defect to another political party.

Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Broadcast Media, Mustapha Jafaru Kaura, confirmed that Lawal is still engaging stakeholders and has not formally declared any intention to leave the PDP.

According to Kaura, the governor has consistently maintained that he does not wish to abandon his party. However, he expressed concern over pending cases at the Court of Appeal relating to the PDP’s national convention in Ibadan and the leadership of Tanimu Turaki, as well as the revised timetable for the general election released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He said if the Court of Appeal validates the PDP national convention in Ibadan and affirms the party’s leadership, it would resolve the uncertainty. But if no judgment is delivered within the next two to three weeks, the governor may consider alternative political platforms to ensure he has a viable ticket to contest.

Kaura added that Lawal has met with PDP stakeholders across the local government areas, briefed them on the situation, and asked them to consult further at their respective levels.

He stressed that the governor has not indicated any direct move to the APC, noting that other parties such as the ADC, Labour Party and SDP remain possible options should the need arise.

Governor Lawal is one of the three remaining PDP governors nationwide and the only one among them expected to seek re-election in the 2027 governorship contest.