The governor of Zamfara state, Dauda Lawal has said that his decision to join the All progressive Congress, APC was to ensure that the Zamfara Rescue and Rebuild mission is sustained since the leadership crisis in his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party remains intractable.

In a statement  issued on Tuesday and signed by Sulaiman Idris, the spokesman of the governor, the governor said the appeal court judgment on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convention sealed his decision to quit the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

It will be recalled that the Court of appeal on Monday affirmed the Federal High Court judgement which restrained the PDP from conducting the national convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan.

Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam who delivered the lead judgement of the three-member panel of the court dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging the jurisdiction of the federal high court to entertain the suit.

He held that the PDP violated constitutional provisions guiding the conduct of a convention as it did not serve a valid notice of the convention on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by law.

According to the governor, the decision of the appellate court  ended his long stay in the PDP after several efforts to achieve peace and out-of-court settlements did not yield positive results.

The statement noted: “Joining the All Progressives Congress was a decision made by stakeholders in Zamfara state amid the ongoing legal challenges faced by the Peoples Democratic Party,” the statement reads.

“Governor Dauda Lawal has demonstrated a strong commitment to the Peoples Democratic Party. He worked diligently to facilitate reconciliation among the party’s factions to ensure unity and enable it to field candidates for upcoming elections.

“Efforts to achieve peace, reconciliation, and out-of-court settlements have proven difficult, leading to a series of legal battles that may have future implications, particularly for leaders contesting elections in 2027.”

Idris said Lawal was “the last man standing in the PDP”.

“He was the only governor seeking a second term who chose to stay, hoping that party leaders would demonstrate decorum and take appropriate action,” he said.

According to him, in a series of meetings that lasted for weeks, Lawal had informed stakeholders that he acknowledged their request to defect to the APC but would make a final decision after the appeal court judgment.

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