Zamfara: PDP Assembly Candidate Kurya Joins APC, Blames Gov Lawal for Security Lapses

In a major political development in Zamfara State, Hon. Muhammad Lawal Kuryar Madaro, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate who lost the Kaura Namoda South State House of Assembly election, has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The announcement was made today during a well-attended gathering organized by Hon.

Kurya’s defection comes months after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared APC’s Kamilu Sa’idu winner of the August supplementary election for the Kaura Namoda South constituency.

According to the Returning Officer, Lawal Sa’adu of the Federal University Gusau, Sa’idu polled 1,181 votes against Kurya’s 194 in the runoff. Overall, the APC secured 8,182 votes, while the PDP garnered 5,544—underscoring the APC’s dominance despite the PDP’s massive financial investment allegedly backed by Governor Dauda Lawal.

Kurya, who was reportedly funded with billions during the election by Governor Lawal, said he decided to leave the PDP due to the governor’s poor leadership and failure to address the state’s worsening insecurity.

He accused the Lawal administration of losing focus, adding that insecurity under the PDP government was the major reason for his electoral loss and the general unrest in Zamfara.

The former PDP candidate urged his supporters to rally behind APC leader and Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, to help restore peace and development in the state.

Kurya’s defection is seen by analysts as a potential trigger for more political realignments in Zamfara, a state already grappling with deep security and political challenges.