31/01/2026
A QUICK NOTE ON “ZAMFARA SSG'S BROTHER” DEFECTION TO APC
By Suleman Ahmad Tudu
Today, the Zamfara State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) hit the headlines with a press statement, trumpeting the defection of Bello Nakwada, a brother to the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government (SSG), Malam Abubakar Mohammad Nakwada who decided to bolt into their party.
The APC has cleverly framed the story around the SSG, trying to portray the development as a game-changer in Zamfara politics, while in reality, it’s just a spin to divert attention from the party's internal meltdown. However, I can understand that the story wouldn't be newsworthy without riding on the SSG's profile, especially since they know that the decampee is a political paperweight.
This story came at a time when many influential APC members in the state were dumping the factionalized party and joining forces with Governor Dauda Lawal, including the former State Chairman of the APC, Alh Lawali Makaman Kaura, prominent youth mobilizers, Jamilu Adamu Escape and Ramadan Mijinyawa among many other members of the party from across the state.
The APC's fuss and efforts to masquerade this defection as a major victory or something serious only exposes their desperation to fake relevance. It's just a case of a classic killer that sees even a table knife as a murder weapon.
Let them be reminded that we are in a democracy that allows any adult to decide which political party they join that aligns with their interests. The SSG's family members aren't an exception to this general democratic principle.
If any of the SSG's family members isn't interested in Governor Dauda Lawal's transformative agenda, that's their choice. But what should be clear is that SSG Nakwada wouldn't compromise his position to satisfy anybody's greediness. He is focused on assisting his principal, His Excellency Dauda Lawal in transforming Zamfara State and wouldn't be distracted.
Additionally, looking at our political terrain, this isn't the first time family members have politically opposed each other, including the likes of Atiku Abubakar, a presidential aspirant whose biological son recently joined his father's major rival political party.
Finally, if there's anything interesting about this, the Zamfara APC should explain why the younger brother of their supreme leader, Sen. Abdulaziz Yari, is in the PDP?
Tudu is a Senior Special Assistant on Media, Office of the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government.
